If Tomorrow Never Comes
by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Set in the same AU as 'Finding Closure'..Tragedy is a Genre as well.
1. Chapter 1

A/N First off, I want to thank Kippling Croft for telling me they did not have a problem with my using the same title as one of their stories.

A/N This is what I call a "high risk" story...meaning, I guarantee NOTHING when it comes to death...there may be one, there may not. Read at your own risk, seeing I can't guarantee that one.

Chapter One

The streets of Stockton were full of people walking up and down the boardwalk, or crossing the street when it was safe to do so. Very few were taking the time to really look around them…which is why most of them missed the tall, dark haired gentleman riding into town. Though, the few who did notice looked only for a second before moving on. Their reactions did not surprise the gentleman, as he'd never been one to turn anyone's head.

"Maybe that's for the best." He said only to the horse he was riding, as he stopped in front of the livery stable and dismounted. He hoped the livery stable would have an empty stall, as he had no other place to keep his animal at the moment. Opening the livery stable door, he stepped inside-leading his horse in as he did so. He was taken aback when he saw two men in the middle of the livery stable arguing with each other. Both men quickly quit their heated discussion the moment they saw the stranger who had entered the building.

"May I help you, sir?" Thad Bean, the red headed livery stable owner who appeared to be in his early thirties, turned away from Heath and looked at the visitor.

"I need a place to keep my horse for a few hours." He paused a split second and added, "Maybe longer."

Heath, who had been studying the stranger, felt uneasy. He couldn't explain why, as there was nothing that screamed 'here is a man to keep an eye on'. Still, it bothered him to get such feelings. However, the last thing he needed to do was drive any of Thad's potential customers away. That being the case, he simply kept an eye on the man while Thad told him where to put the horse and collected the money owed him for stabling the horse.

Thad, who noticed the troubled look on Heath's face after the stranger had thanked him and then exited the building, pushed the disagreement he'd had with Heath aside and asked if he knew him. "I mean, do you think he's going to cause any trouble?"

"I don't know." Heath answered as he took out his wallet and handed Thad the thirty dollars the man claimed the blonde haired Barkley owed him. He wouldn't have done it only he was more interested in seeing where the stranger had gone than he was in getting Thad to admit the bill they'd been arguing about had already been paid. "Don't tell me I owe you this money again, or I'll knock you into next month." He called over his shoulder as he hurried out the door.

Once outside, Heath could see the stranger heading towards Jarrod's office. The uneasy feeling that continued to gnaw at his gut, propelled Heath towards his brother's law office. As he hurried down the boardwalk, he tried to figure out if he'd ever seen the man. By the time he stepped into Jarrod's office he had accepted that, if by some wild chance he'd met the man, he could not connect any incident with the gentleman. He could see Jarrod's personal office with its door wide open; he could hear his brother and the man talking. In no time at all, he was standing in the office doorway and looking at Jarrod who was surprised to see him. He might have been tempted to press for answers only Jarrod was already talking.

"Heath meet Shaun Callahan." Jarrod looked from Heath to Mr. Callahan and proceeded to introduce Heath to the visitor.

"Callahan, any relation to Jimmy Callahan?" After the friendship he'd formed with the stubborn Irishman, he hated the idea that this gentleman was indeed trouble.

"Not that I know of, could be," Shaun answered, and then shrugged his shoulders. "The thing is my father was Irish, but he died when I was five years old. I was raised in Ohio, Oregon and then Montana."

"Heath," Jarrod nodded towards the door while giving Heath a smile. "Unless your business is urgent, could you please wait out there for a few minutes?"

"He doesn't need to leave." Shaun Callahan spoke up. "I didn't stop in here for any legal matter. In fact, the only reason I stopped by was I saw your name on the outside door. I'm looking for Jo…I mean Nick Barkley and was hoping you could steer me his way."

Surprise and concern filled Jarrod's eyes while the uneasy feeling Heath had inside him grew. The man had started to call their hot tempered brother Jonathon; they just knew it. That meant he knew Nick from the period he and Maria were running from her father. Heath didn't like it. "What do you want with our brother?" Try as he might, Heath failed to keep the protective tone out of his voice. His question-a question repeated in Jarrod's eyes-did not faze the man; he'd have been shocked if the two brothers hadn't made such an inquiry.

"We met while he and his wife were traveling to Montana. We also knew each other while he was living there; I worked on a small ranch in that area." Shaun chuckled as he rubbed his chin. "Your brother has a hard right hook and; before you ask, I did ask for it." He went on to say he'd left Martinsdale for a few short weeks and had been shocked to return to find his friend had sold the ranch and moved back to California, under his real name. "I've thought about coming and paying them a visit before now, but one thing after another kept me busy instead."

Jarrod smiled while Heath allowed a small crooked smile to appear. Nick was Nick no matter what name he'd used. However, he did not feel totally relaxed. How could he when he still had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. "I have some business to finish up." Heath hooked his thumbs onto the top of the openings of his pant pockets. "I'll be less than fifteen minutes. Why don't you wait here, and then I'll come and get you."

Shaun Callahan looked at Jarrod who nodded towards the open door. "You can rest on the sofa in the lobby. Both are small, but you'll be comfortable enough."

Shaun smiled and headed for the sofa.

"You're going to send someone ahead of you, aren't you?" Jarrod spoke soft enough that only Heath could hear his words.

"You weren't born yesterday." Heath grinned as he too walked out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Excerpt from Ch One

" _You're going to send someone ahead of you, aren't you?" Jarrod spoke soft enough that only Heath could hear his words._

Nick was working with a horse inside the corral that sat near his and Maria's home. He could see his wife sitting in the rocker that sat on the porch reading to their four children. The nanny they'd hired to help with the children sat in a brown chair that was also on the porch. When it came to his and Maria's children, Resolve was eight and Nick Jr (his name had been legally changed once he and Maria moved back to Stockton) was six. The child Maria had been expecting when they returned to California was four. That child was a boy named Thomas Carlos Barkley while their two and a half year old was a girl by the name of Catalina Maria. _'Just how many you plan on having?"_ The question had been asked more than once, and they'd always answered the same way. _"As many as we can,"_

Nick came out of his thoughts as he saw Barrett racing towards the corrals. He didn't like that. Barrett had gone into town with Heath. What was he doing here? Nick yelled for one of the ranch hands to come and get the horse he'd been working with. Once the man had done as Nick had ordered, the hot tempered rancher hurried to the gate and waited for Barrett. By the time the longtime employee reached the opened gate, Maria had made her way to her husband's side. "What is it?" Nick, who feared the worst, wrapped his arm around his wife and looked at Barrett as the man dismounted his horse.

"Heath sent me, told me to hightail it out here. He wanted you to know he was bringing a visitor here." Barrett went on to say that Heath thought Nick should be told beforehand. "Only reason I was pushing my horse so hard is because I didn't leave town too much before Heath was supposed to, and he wanted you told before he got here."

Nick and Maria's eyes widened in shock. They couldn't believe what they'd just heard. "Did you say Shaun Callahan?" Nick rested his hands on his hips and stared at Barrett. The tone of his voice; along with the continuing amazement in his eyes, told Barrett Nick didn't know whether or not to believe him.

"I did. Why?" Barrett was on high alert, in case there was trouble coming. He was relieved when a giant smile slowly spread across Nick's and Maria's faces.

"You get back to work." Nick told Barrett, after thanking him for delivering the message. Afterwards he turned his head and looking at Maria. "I'm going to go saddle Coco Jr and go meet them."

Maria, who was still coming out of shock upon hearing Shaun's name come out of Barrett's mouth, nodded. "All right, I'll be waiting for you. Best go start an early lunch. If I remember right, that man likes to eat as much as you do." She turned around and headed back for the house while Barrett mounted his horse and rode away at a much slower pace. It wasn't long before Nick was also riding away from the house. As he did so his mind turned to the past.

 _The sun was just beginning to set and Nick, who had been gathering firewood, stepped back into camp to see a tall, dark haired stranger standing near the campfire. He was holding his arms and hands away from his body…Maria had the pistol Nick had left with her pointed at the stranger. Nick quickly dropped the wood and demanded to know who the man was and what was going on._

" _Name's Shaun Callahan." The stranger smiled. "I don't mean any harm. I was just shocked to see a woman and a young infant in a place like this. I thought she and the infant were alone. I was worried about them."_

 _Nick wasn't buying it. If that was the case, why would Maria be holding a gun on the man? "What did he do?" He looked at Maria, his eyes still full of suspicion._

" _I'm not holding him at gunpoint because of what he did, but for what he said…or rather implied." Maria answered Nick while glaring at Shaun._

" _And just what was that?" Nick took a step towards their unexpected visitor._

 _Shaun gave Nick an apologetic look and admitted that he'd spoken without thinking. "I asked if she minded having some company and then accidently implied that we should sleep together. Ma'am," he looked at Maria, "I seriously mean no one any harm, nor do I wish to be known as a man who would compromise a woman in anyway." He went on to say he was making his way to Montana and was seriously looking for a spot to make his camp for the night._

 _While Nick had no doubt the man needed a place to sleep for the night, he wasn't sure their visitor was telling the truth when it came to Maria. "There's a clearing not a mile back," Nick pointed in the way the gentleman had come. "I'm sure you can use it."_

 _Shaun had nodded and walked away. However, he couldn't have gone to the clearing as not even an hour later he was saving their lives when a cougar wandered into their camp. After that, he was allowed to travel with them…though Nick continued keeping an eye on him._

Nick stopped thinking about the past when he saw Heath and Shaun come into his view. He pushed Coco Jr forward.

Heath brought his horse to a stop and watched as Shaun Callahan dismounted his horse. The moment Nick reached them, he flew out of his saddle and sent his fist across the man's jaw, sending the man flying to the ground. The action made Heath think he had to be right, and that the man was trouble after all. Only the next minute both Shaun and Nick were laughing and embracing.

"I should do more than hit you, you old goat! Where have you been? We heard you were killed shortly after we left Montana! What did you go and do, land yourself behind bars and didn't want to admit it?" Nick laughed as he stepped away from Shaun.

"You're not the first person to say that to me; that is, the part about thinking I had crossed over." Shaun laughed and added if Nick was talking to a dead man Nick best explain how he was doing it.

"Come on," Nick mounted his horse. "Maria is cooking something to eat." He looked at Heath. Knowing Brydie had taken their children to visit her father, he asked his blonde haired brother if he wanted to join them.

Heath would have said no, but the uncomfortable feeling in his gut wouldn't go away…and that worried him. "Okay." He gave Nick and Shaun a small crooked smile, and then starting riding with the two men towards Nick's home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Maria, who had been in the kitchen, stepped into the hallway and looked towards the entrance to her and Nick's home when she heard the door open. Nick and Heath entered and then the man she and her husband had thought long since dead. "Shaun Callahan!" She wiped her hands on the apron she'd put on and hurried the best she could to welcome their guest.

"Hello, Lou…I mean Maria." Shaun glanced at Nick, who was laughing just a little while Heath had a small smirk on his face as well. "As you two can tell," he looked back at Maria and grinned wide. "I still have a habit of calling people by the names they first gave me."

"I thought you were dead! What have you been up to?" Maria, who had given their visitor a hug, let go and stepped back.

Shaun shook his head as Nick and Heath both busted up laughing. Which, naturally, made it so Maria was looking at them as if to ask what she'd said that was so funny. Only when the two brothers were able to get their laughter under control did Shaun answer Maria. "If I could collect a dollar for every time I've heard that statement, I'd be richer than your husband." He then followed Nick into the living room where Resolve and Nick Jr were trying to teach Thomas to play jacks. Why they were doing that with a four year old was beyond understanding, but none of the grownups argued. Why would they when the two older boys were actually being patient with the younger one?

"Do any of you want a drink?" Nick asked as Shaun sat down on the sofa, as did Heath.

"I'll take a whiskey." Shaun answered, after thanking Nick for the offer. Heath also took a whiskey while Maria, who had sat down in the rocker near the fireplace, so she could keep an eye on Catalina who had fallen asleep on a small blanket that was spread out on the living room floor, declined. That is, she sat down and declined the drink after asking the children's nanny if she'd mind finishing cooking the food they'd be eating later.

Nick handed Shaun and Heath their drinks, got one of his own and then sat down in a chair that sat near the sofa. "What have you been up to? How did you survive the fall off the cliff when you were hunting?"

Shaun took a swallow of his drink and chuckled as if he was amused. "Is that what you were told? That I went hunting and fell off a cliff?"

Nick nodded. "Paul Campbell, your neighbor, came by the house just before my brother Jarrod arrived in Martinsdale." He went on to say how Paul had received a letter from the man Shaun had supposedly gone hunting with. "It gave the account in detail; he said he was sorry he couldn't retrieve your body and bring you home."

"With all due respect to Mr. Campbell, he's too gullible." Shaun finished his drink and set the glass on a small, round brown table that sat next to the sofa. "My hunting partner and I had an argument. He went one way; I went the other. Literally, I haven't set a foot in Martinsdale since that hunting trip."

"So," Maria prodded him and again asked what he'd been up to.

"Traveling," Shaun leaned back and threw his one leg over the other one while resting his elbows on the back of the sofa, letting the lower part of his arms hang downwards. "Been all over the good old U S A, seen a number of sites and met a lot of people. You know, no matter what anyone says, I think the human race is more alike than each individual wants to admit."

"I think you're right." Nick chuckled. "Why not tell us a few stories?"

Shaun shrugged and started sharing some of the funnier stories, said he didn't really care to relate the more serious ones. He got more than one laugh as he related the experiences, and would have shared more than he did only the laughter woke up Catalina. The young girl sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Shaun apologized as Maria started to rise from the rocker. "I didn't mean to wake the wee one."

His friend's use of the word 'wee' for little made Nick look at him and chuckle. "I think you're Irish blood is show…" Before he could finish his sentence, Catalina shocked everyone by running up to Shaun and hitting him on the leg.

"Catalina Maria Barkley!" Maria snapped firmly, but not overly loud. "That is uncalled for!" Then, due to the fact that - even though she was only two and a half years old - the young child was already talking amazingly well, Maria insisted that her daughter apologize to their friend. "Say you're sorry. That was not nice."

"NO!" Catalina again tried to hit Shaun. "Go away! Go away!"

Nick and Maria were appalled while all Heath could do was stare. He'd never seen his niece act this way. However, before any of them could say anything, Shaun was standing up and excusing himself…but not before he made sure they knew not to get after Catalina. "I told you what my life used to be like shortly after we met, Nick." Shaun sighed. "I also told you how I struggle to take things one day at a time. Children have a sixth sense, or I have found many of them do. Your wee one there, she senses my struggles and; obviously, it frightens her. I will go out on the porch and visit you there, if you don't mind. Then, I guess I will take my horse back to the livery stable in Stockton and find a room there."

"That is not necessary." Nick looked at his wife and children, especially Catalina-who had hid behind her mother's skirt. He rubbed his forehead and knelt down, gently pulling his young daughter out from behind Maria. "Catalina," Nick spoke gently, not wishing to frighten his daughter any more than she was. "Mr. Callahan is not a bad man. He is a friend to your mother and I. He will be visiting us and eating supper with us. You do not need to afraid. However, if it makes you feel better, you can stay with me."

Catalina said nothing, but she wrapped her small arms around her father's neck and held on tight. Nick stood up and, keeping his daughter in his arms made his way back to where he'd been sitting. The rest of the afternoon, he, Heath and Shaun visited. However, due to his niece's reaction to Nick and Maria's friend, Heath continued to keep a close eye on Mr. Callahan in spite of the friendly enough visit.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

A/N As you read this chapter, I want you to know….Shaun Callahan is NOT a Handy Randam type character. He doesn't go looking for fights, nor does he start them on purpose etc. (Can't stand that Handy character)

Shaun, who had insisted-for Catalina's sake; the child had clung to her father the entire time they'd visited and had practically been sitting on Nick's lap during supper, that he would not sleep in the house, now sat on the porch that was connected to the bunkhouse. He could have used the chair that sat against the outside of the building, but he preferred to sit on the edge with his boots touching the ground. He could see Heath bidding his brother goodnight. However, when Heath-who was heading for the stable-was close enough that Shaun would not have to yell to get his attention, the Barkley's visitor called out to him. "Do you have a few minutes?"

Heath, who had been leery of leaving Nick's home with their visitor still around anyway, nodded, walked over to the bunkhouse and sat on the right side of the porch. When Shaun offered him a cigarette, Heath thanked the gentleman and accepted.

Only when both their cigarettes were lit did Shaun look at Heath, a tired smile was upon his face. "It's not just Catalina who is uneasy with my being here, or are you going to tell me I'm wrong?"

Heath was shocked. Sure, what Shaun said was true, but-as far as Heath knew-he had said and done nothing that would be considered anything but polite. Due to the surprise he'd felt, it took the blonde haired cowboy a few moments to shrug his shoulders and admit he couldn't deny what Shaun had just said. "How did you know?"

Shaun chuckled as he removed the cigarette from his lips and blew out some smoke. "I was causing trouble when you were still in diapers, developed the knack of reading people pretty well." He sighed and caused Heath to stiffen when he said, "I didn't lie to Nick and Maria when I said I came to see them and visit. However, there's more to my visit than that. I was going to tell Nick during supper only; after the wee one's reaction to me, I couldn't. I mean, that child wouldn't have let go of her father. There was no way I could talk to him and Maria in private."

"What other reason do you have?" Heath tapped his cigarette against the porch, allowing the ashes to fall to the ground.

"I was in the Modesto saloon at the same time as a couple of ranchers from Stockton were, heard the waitress call them by the names JR Morton and Zack Morton." Shaun replied. He wasn't surprised when Heath stiffened even more. Though, Heath simply waited for him to continue.

"They were talking about the fact that they had just purchased some land that lies next to the west side of this ranch. That is, the only thing that separates the two places is a public road-even if it's a back road." He looked at Heath as if to ask if he needed to spell it out.

Heath groaned. The Mortons had tried more than once to get the Barkleys to sell a few hundred acres on that side of the ranch. Each and every time Nick and Maria, along with the rest of the family, had given the Mortons a solid NO for an answer. "What are they planning?" Heath asked slowly.

"Said something about how there had been a mistake made with the boundaries, it was hard to hear with all the noise." Shaun shrugged his shoulders. "But, to be honest, the one brother didn't seem all that eager to 'find a legal way to get the land'. That is, he seemed to think they should move fences first…and then wait for a legal fight. Guess he thinks it would be okay to get-as he said- 'free use of land for a couple of months'." Shaun jutted his chin outwards, in the direction of the house. "That child in there sensed I was bringing bad news along with me, no way anyone can say anything to convince me different. As did you,"

After hearing what Shaun had to say, Heath agreed wholeheartedly when it came to Catalina -especially since he'd see the same thing time and time again. That is, he'd known young children who seemed to have the knack of knowing things ahead of time. Now, with what Mr. Callahan had just revealed, Heath found the place inside of him where the leeriness he had towards Shaun had been fill with great concern. He trusted the Mortons as far as he could throw them…and then some.

"We're going to have to tell Nick sooner or later." Heath stood up and looked at the now lightless house. "I'll bring Jarrod over first thing in the morning; he's alone for a few weeks as well. His stepsons are grown and married, and his wife went to visit them. He would have gone with her, but he had a case he was wrapping up."

"Good idea to have him here as well," Shaun stood up, dropped his cigarette onto the ground and ground it into the dirt. The last thing he wanted was to start a fire and hurt-or worse-kill anyone. "You know; maybe, it's a good thing that young child reacted the way she did. If she hadn't, I'd have told Nick everything without you or your brother around. And," he again rubbed his chin. "We both know how stupid that would have been."

"Yea, bless his heart, Nick reacts too quickly most of the time." Heath gave Shaun a lopsided grin as he excused himself and headed for the barn. It was late and, after what he'd just learned, he needed to stop and talk to Jarrod before he headed home. After all, he didn't want to miss telling Jarrod everything, and missing him was a high possibility if he waited until morning.

Shaun watched as Heath walked away and then looked upwards. He could see the stars scattered from one end of the blackened sky to the other. The half-moon was still giving plenty of light. He could hear what sounded like a choir of crickets singing. If it weren't for the trouble he just knew was coming, and what he feared might be the results, it would have been the perfect evening. As it was, he turned around and disappeared into the bunkhouse.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Jarrod and Heath sat on their horses, a good three hundred yards from the home of Rufus Morton. The night before they'd decided it was best to see if they could talk to the Morton patriarch before doing anything. After all, Shaun Callahan had only mentioned Rufus' sons. They hoped that meant the 'boys' father was in the dark when it came to the talk in the Modesto Saloon. Slowly, they moved their horses forward.

Rufus, who had stepped outside after breakfast, was surprised to see two riders heading towards his home at this early hour-it was barely seven o'clock in the morning. He was even more shocked when he realized who it was. When Jarrod and Heath were within thirty feet of the front porch, Rufus stepped off the porch. "What brings the two of you out here at this time of the morning?"

Heath glanced at Jarrod, as if to ask if he wanted to do the talking or if Heath should. Jarrod shook his head ever so slightly and then looked at Rufus. He chose his words carefully as he explained why he and Heath had ridden out to see him. "We don't want any trouble with you or any of your family." He went on to say he didn't understand why any of the Mortons wanted the land bad enough to risk legal actions or, worse yet-some sort of range war.

Rufus was shocked. Sure, he knew his boys had been discussing ways to try to convince the Barkleys to sell them the land that had caught their eye. And, if truth be told, he'd like to have the land as well. However, he didn't want it bad enough to pull any sort of stunt as Jarrod was saying that JR and Zack were accused of plotting. "I never heard of any such plans!" Rufus growled as he glanced over his shoulders. He could see his sons sitting at the dining room table-as the curtains that hung on the dining room window had been pulled to the side earlier that morning. "I'll make sure my sons know to stay away from any of your fence lines!"

Jarrod and Heath both let out breaths they didn't realize they'd been holding. While both of them wondered if Rufus would indeed be successful in getting his sons to listen, it relieved both of them to know the older gentleman was not in on the plans JR and Zack had been the process of making. However, before they could say anything, Rufus was talking again.

"Nick's friend must have hightailed it out of Modesto to make it to his home. I call that loyalty. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have two sons to talk to." Rufus turned around and walked away, leaving Jarrod and Heath to mount their horses and ride away.

While Jarrod and Heath had been talking to Rufus, Shaun had been sitting on Nick and Maria's porch talking with Nick…who was still rather embarrassed by the fact that Catalina was still clinging to him or Maria. Though, it was also starting to bother him. His daughter was usually so outgoing and friendly. He didn't want to think there was something that Shaun might be hiding. Though, he kept the talk light until Maria stepped out onto the porch and said it was time for Catalina's nap. Once she took the child into the house, Nick looked at Shaun and asked him to tell him more about what he'd been doing the past few years.

Shaun shocked Nick by pointing straight ahead and saying, "I think I best wait until they get here."

Nick stood up when he realized it was his brothers who were heading towards his house. It made him worry-as wasn't that much past breakfast time. That meant his brothers had either eaten extra early or skipped eating their morning meal altogether. If they'd done that, Nick could just hear the lecture Victoria would give his brothers the moment they got back to the main house. After all, she'd promised both her daughters-in-law to make sure their husbands took care of themselves while they were away.

"What brings the two of you here so early?" Nick looked from one brother to another.

"This isn't early. We were out at the Mortons even earlier." Heath dismounted his horse, as did Jarrod. Heath then asked Shaun if he wanted tell Nick or should one of them. Naturally, that had Nick whirling around and staring at Shaun.

"I will." Shaun repeated what he'd told Heath the night before. He wasn't surprised when Nick started to explode, though Jarrod stopped his hot tempered brother before he could do more than yell the word 'what'.

"Rufus says he knew nothing about his sons' plans and promised to talk to them." Jarrod looked straight at Nick. "Mr. Morton may be a lot of things, but he's also a man that keeps his word. He'll have that talk with JR and Zack." He then repeated what Rufus Morton had said about Shaun.

Nick didn't trust Rufus to be successful when it came to talking some sense into his sons; still, he calmed down. "Thanks, and sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Shaun asked, and then pointed towards the house. "That you have a very perceptive child who sensed a troubled aurora about me? Nothing wrong with that, you'd do well not to question her instincts. Well, not for a couple of years anyway." He then changed subjects, asking about a fair he'd heard Nick's oldest boy talking to Maria about.

"Yes, there's a fair starting tomorrow." Nick looked at Jarrod and Heath. "You two still going?"

"I don't know about Heath," Jarrod answered, "Only I was thinking about it. Need a break anyway,"

Heath, who saw no reason to stay in his house alone, said pretty much the same thing, and then asked Shaun if he wanted to join them. "No reason for you to hang around here by yourself."

"No, there isn't." Nick agreed.

Shaun, who knew Nick would be taking his family with him, hesitated. He wanted everyone to enjoy the fair before JR and Zack tried to pull something-and he knew they would in spite of what their father had told Jarrod and Heath. "I don't know." He replied after a moment of silence had passed. "Might be better if I stay here."

"Why?" Nick asked, even as he glanced backwards at his house. "Because of Catalina? She'll be fine. As she gets older, she'll realize that one person shouldn't be blamed for another person's choices. For now, Maria or I will have her with us at all times. Because of the Mortons? Don't let their actions control your choices!" He then urged Shaun to join them at the fair, as did Heath and Jarrod.

Finally, Shaun relented. "Haven't been anything like a fair for years anyway. Might be fun,"

"Good! I'll go tell Maria what's going on," Nick grinned, turned and walked briskly away. Only when he left did Jarrod and Heath look at Shaun again; neither one was surprised to still see a trouble look on the man's face. They could pretty well guess what he was thinking.

"Yea, I'm sure the Mortons will be there as well." Jarrod told him. "Only we don't have to talk to them. For that matter, we don't even have to be in the same spot as them during our time at the fair." He then excused himself, saying he had to get a drink of water before he left. When he left, Heath, who could see Jarrod's words hadn't done much when it came to getting Shaun to relax, repeated Jarrod's words and then added. "You don't have to let JR and Zack ruin your visit here. It's not your fault they're greedy."

"I know." Shaun gave him a small smile and then started walking towards the bunkhouse.

As he did so, Heath caught a glimpse of 'something' in Shaun's eyes. He couldn't put into the words what that 'something' was only the moment he saw it, he felt a small amount of chills go down his back and the uneasy feeling in his gut was back. In that moment, he just knew there was something else that their visitor wasn't saying. He would have gone after the gentleman and demanded to know what else there was only Jarrod was on Nick's porch calling for him. Heath hurried to the porch to see what Jarrod wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

A/N The first "Petting Zoo" was actually in 1938. The London Zoo included the first children's zoo in Europe while the Philadelphia Zoo was the first in America. (Thanks to my beta reader for that information). However, for the sake of this story, they had one in the 1800's.

Shaun was sure every single man, woman and child in Stockton had decided to make the trip to the fair. As he walked around the fairgrounds with the three Barkley brothers, Nick's family and Victoria, Shaun had to step aside time and time again-to avoid hitting other residents head on. "I think I just remembered why I stopped going to fairs." Shaun said, as he had to step aside yet again.

The Barkleys couldn't help but chuckle. "Told you that you needed to get out more while I was living in Montana," Nick grinned as the family made their way to the benches that surrounded the rodeo arena. The Barkleys had employees who had entered one of the most popular events at the fair.

"Did you ever enter these things?" Shaun flicked his finger towards the arena and looked at Nick and his brothers.

"Yeah, I and Heath both used to." Nick, who was holding Catalina on his lap, grinned. "Got a few broken bones too." That got a chuckle from everyone. They might have continued talking only Nick's young daughter started pulling on her father's sleeve and pointing off to her right. There was a sign that read "Petting Zoo". Even though Catalina couldn't read the words, she could see the few animals being petted by other children.

Catalina pointed to her left. "I want to pet them too, please."

Nick, who really wanted to see the rodeo, started to tell her they'd see the animals later only to have Heath speak up and offer to take her. "I don't mind."

Catalina flew into her uncle's arm. "Thanks! I want to see the sheep first."

The moment the words were out of her mouth, Nick was rolling his eyes while the rest of the family was laughing. Naturally, there was no way Catalina could know what was so funny. Though, she said nothing as Heath was already carrying her towards the petting zoo.

Shaun watched as Heath walked away with the young child. It made him sad to know that children such as her could see and feel what others-older children and adults-could not. It made him wish people like the Morton boys would just grow up. When he saw Heath allow a young woman to take the young child into the pen holding the small animals, he stood up. "I think I'll go look at the animals as well. That is," he looked at Nick and Maria, "If it's okay with you."

"You don't have to ask us. You're here to enjoy the fair the same as us." Nick and his wife then turned their attention to the rodeo which had just started. Shaun paused and then walk away. It didn't take long for him to step beside Heath, who was leaning on the fence that the petting zoo had put up.

"Mind if we talk while the wee one looks at the animals?" Shaun asked, though he kept his face forward.

Thinking that; perhaps, the man was going to tell him what else he wasn't saying-which Heath was still convinced there was more to Shaun's visit than warning them about JR and Zach's plans-Heath nodded his head. "Sure, what's on your mind?"

Shaun sighed and surprised Heath by talking about the past instead of the present. "I knew a man once, fell in love with the prettiest gal he had ever seen. He courted her, hoped to marry her, but she walked away from him-said she couldn't marry him. Later, his cousin-who might as well been his brother-fell in love with her." Shaun wasn't surprised when Heath stiffened just a little. However, Shaun just shook his head and kept talking. "The first man eventually married and had a good life for a while, though he and his wife were never blessed with children. The two cousins got along well enough, I suppose. However," he paused and turned his head, looking straight at Heath. The look-one that seemed to see right through Heath-made Heath even more uncomfortable. "They never really talked things out. There was always a small feeling of betrayal-even if neither one was admitting it. Oh, they both told themselves they would sit down and talk 'that issue out tomorrow', but they never did. Tomorrow never came….the first man died before 'that day' came."

"You talking about you and your cousin? Nick been talking to you?" Heath turned his full attention to his niece, as he was more than uncomfortable with Shaun poking his nose into a matter that shouldn't make one bit of difference now.

"Yes, I am and; no, he hasn't…not on 'that' subject he hasn't. Though, I am going to be talking to him as well." Shaun too turned his attention to Catalina and the fun she was having, "There's the same aurora around the two of you that was around me and my cousin." He paused again, and then started talking about the Mortons. "Look, I came here knowing Nick and the rest of you needed to be warned about what those Morton brothers were threatening to do. And while I hope the talk you and Jarrod had with their father will do some good, as I really hate the idea of anything happening to either one of you, I still want to ask you a few questions-the same ones I'm going to ask Nick. However, don't worry. I won't stand around waiting for any answers." He nodded and glanced over his shoulder, in the direction of the rodeo arena. "I need to get back there and; before you ask, I won't be waiting around for answers when I talk to Nick."

"What is it?" Heath asked, throwing his own glance towards Shaun.

"What if tomorrow never comes? What if the Morton boys don't listen; what if they cause problems and…heaven forbid…something happens to either one of you? Do you really want to chance either you or Nick crossing over without things truly being ironed out between you? Would it really be worth it?"

Heath turned his eyes downward as he thought of the resentful feelings that would indeed flare up inside him every now and then. He didn't like it when it happened as he _was_ very much in love with his wife, and he _didn't_ want Maria back. "I…" he lifted his eyes and turned his head only to find Shaun had already left, and was halfway back to the rodeo arena. "Boy howdy, you sure do move fast. I didn't even hear you walk away." He thought only to himself as he watched the young woman who was actually Miss Brown, the children's Sunday school teacher, bringing Catalina back to him. As he took Catalina from the kind woman and walked away, Shaun's words were repeating themselves in his mind...especially the words 'If tomorrow never comes…" .


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Jarrod was sitting behind his desk in the study when he heard the front door open, and then heard the sound of Silas talking to Heath-though he couldn't make out what they were saying. He looked at the clock and frowned. It was eight o'clock in the morning! What was Heath, who had been staying at the main house while Brydie was away, doing at the house instead of out working? He thought about leaving the study and going to ask his blonde haired brother that very question only to hear Heath's footsteps approaching and then see him enter the study. One look at the troubled look on his younger brother's face, and Jarrod set his pencil down on the desk. "What's wrong?" Jarrod leaned back in his chair and watched as Heath walked over to the bookcase and then turned around.

"It's about the fair; I mean, something that happened at the fair yesterday." Heath sat down on the new sofa that Jarrod had recently purchased, said the old one should have been thrown out long time ago.

Jarrod was puzzled. He hadn't heard of anything out of the ordinary happening while they were at the fair. "What are you talking about?"

Heath took a deep breath and repeated, in his own words, the conversation Nick's friend had had with him while at the petting zoo. "It was as if he was looking right through me as he talked. It was downright eerie." Heath stood up and walked to the window, resting his hands on the window seal while he rested his forehead against the window itself. "He's right you know. Nick and I have never sat down and talked about the fact he wound up marrying Maria."

"Does it bother you?" Jarrod was confused, as he had thought both of his brothers were happy in their marriages.

Heath didn't answer at first, which did not help Jarrod's confusion. Finally, he shook his head, "Not in the way I'm sure you're afraid of. I wouldn't change things if I could. However," he shrugged his shoulders, turned around and leaned against the window seal. "Every once in a while I wonder why they didn't just come to us and let us help them…on even rarer occasions I find myself wondering what would have happened if they had. Though, as I've already stated, I'm more than fine with the way life has turned out-for both of us."

"But you've never sat down and talked to Nick about it." Jarrod watched as Heath shook his head and walked back over to the couch. Once his blond haired brother sat down, Jarrod picked up some papers that were laying on the side of his newly purchase, solid oak desk. "Want to know what these are about?"

Heath, puzzled why Jarrod seemed to be changing subjects, looked at him. "Why not?"

"Rufus Morton has filed papers claiming that Maria's father took some of their land and annexed it onto his own property. So much for talking some sense into his boys," He wasn't surprised by the disgust that came onto Heath's face, though Heath said nothing as Jarrod continued speaking. "Mr. Callahan's right, Heath. We don't know that Rufus' sons will listen to him when it comes to not pulling anything else and, while I pray that no one -on either side-is killed during the process of settling this, no one's tomorrow is guaranteed. How will you, or Nick, feel if one of you finds that 'your tomorrow' never comes, and you don't have 'that issue' talked out before hand?"

Heath said nothing as he rose to his feet. Why did people like the late Don Alfredo and the Mortons have to be so selfish? It's not like it helped anyone but themselves. "I'll see you later." He headed for the door only to have Jarrod stop him.

"Think about it, Heath. I didn't realize it was even an issue in any degree, but as long as it is? It needs to be dealt with-preferably before we face any more problems with the Mortons."

While Jarrod and Heath had been talking, Shaun had cornered a very irritated Nick in the barn Nick had built shortly after he and Maria returned to California; the old one was falling apart. Nick and his foreman had chased J R and Zack away from the fence line just that morning-but not before exchanging a few shots each other's way. Now, not four hours later the sheriff had showed up on the ranch, and Nick had learned of what Rufus had done.

"They're crazy, and just as land hungry as Maria's father used to be! If JR and Zach think they'll just waltz in and take 'a few acres' while we and their father fight things out in court! A bullet missed me by bare inches!" Nick didn't add the fact that he had felt as if someone was literally putting their hand on his back and pushing him into a leaning position a split second before the shot was taken. He didn't want to be called crazy. "I should…"

"NICK!" Shaun, who had only yelled a couple of times at Nick during the time they'd known each other in Montana, raised his voice-and used a strong tone of voice while he did it. It amazed Nick and caused him to stop his rantings.

"What?" Nick barked out the question-even if he wasn't pacing up and down anymore.

"What good will going off like a stick of dynamite do? Besides destroying everything in your path?" Shaun then lowered his voice as he walked over to a brown crate that set against one of the stalls. "You'd be asking for more trouble-maybe even death. As it is, you were blessed you weren't shot this morning; or, worse yet, killed." He then repeated the story he'd told Heath the previous day. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen only I fear you're right. Those men, who might as well be boys for the way they're acting, will try something else. I know some people would say I have no business talking to you like this. I don't care though, I still want you to ask yourself one question. Do you really want to chance of something happening to either you or Heath, and the surviving one having to live with the pain of not having put past issues truly behind you?"

After Shaun quit speaking, he stood up and excused himself. "I promised your children I'd show them a few magic tricks, think I best keep my promise." He then walked out of the barn, leaving Nick-who had grown quiet and was sitting on a bale of hay-to think on JR and Zach Morton, along with all that his friend had just said.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Excerpt from Ch 7

" _Want to know what these are about?"_

 _Heath, puzzled why Jarrod seemed to be changing subjects, looked at him. "Why not?"_

" _Rufus Morton has filed papers claiming that that Maria's father took some of their land and annexed it onto his own property. So, much for talking sense into his sons."_

"I never said that!" Rufus Morton stood in the middle of his spacious living room glaring at his sons, who both sat on the dark brown sofa their father had recently purchased. JR had-after learning about the papers his father had filed-said it was great to that his father was finally on their side when it came to the extra land. "I only filed those papers after I found out what the two of you idiots had done!" Rufus's eyes were throwing fire his sons' way. He'd been eating breakfast when one of his concerned employees, knocked on the door and told him what he'd learned by accident. "There was no need to go and mess with the Barkley's fence line! You could have been killed, or found yourself in jail on murder charges. As it is, I'll be surprised if the sheriff doesn't show up on our doorstep with a warrant for your arrest on the grounds of trespassing!"

"We were only going to move the fence a couple of feet." Zack whined. "Nick and his foreman weren't supposed to be in the area. I had a friend of mine check their plans for the day."

"What friend? When did he check things out?" Rufus shot the questions out, but didn't wait for an answer as he continued railing on his sons. Truth was, his sons' actions scared him. Sure, they'd always been competitive, so was he. Yes, they'd pulled one prank after another through the years. He had too when he was younger. But both were far past the age one would expect a person to grow up and take some responsibility. He'd swore these two sons were acting more like a couple of teenage boys then men well into their thirties. "I want you to promise me you won't do anything close to what you did this morning! If you're so intent on getting a piece of that land, get the proof you need to back up the claim I've made for you. Take it to the courts and let them give you the land legally. We don't need land at the price of blood, anyone's blood!"

JR squirmed in his seat. He wanted the extra land, only he had to admit he hadn't taken the time to think there might be actual shooting. In fact, he could still see Nick leaning forward his saddle. For a spit second, JR had thought the hot temper rancher had been shot. However, when Nick had flew off his horse and hid behind a tree-as did the Barkley's foreman, JR knew different. "Fine, I'll back off and get that evidence!"

"Zack?" Rufus turned his attention to his second son who had stood up.

Zack, who hadn't been completely honest with his brother as to why he wanted JR's help in getting the land, wasn't about to admit to his father where his true motivation lay. He sure the Sam Hill wasn't going to promise not to move any fence lines either. After all, he had friends and there was a reason to move around in the dark of night. He headed for the door. Of course, this did not help his father's mood at all.

"Zachery Daniel Morton!" Rufus barked out his son's full name, causing Zach to turn on him.

"I'm thirty-four years old! I know my full name, and I heard what you said. Stay away from the Barkleys!" Zach stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. The Morton patriarch would have gone after his son only he didn't for two reasons. One, he knew there was no way he could force a full grown man back into the house and; two, JR was already out the door-saying he'd make sure his brother didn't do anything stupid.

Once both boys were gone, Rufus walk into the kitchen and then out the back door. Once outside he stood on the porch he'd added to the home a number of years back and thought on the past. As he did so, he found his mind taking him back to a conversation he'd had with the late Tom Barkley. The two men and their families were at a church activity, and topic of the trouble Rufus was having with his sons came up. While he couldn't remember exactly what had happened, Rufus could still hear the words Tom had spoken to him back then.

" _I'm not saying_ _Victoria or I_ _are perfect, Rufus. We're not." Tom was sitting a barrel that stood next to the south wall of the building. "I'm saying we are doing our best, just as you and your wife are. The only real problem you have is you want to be strict with your boys only you're bordering on the side of harshness instead. Also, you've told me yourself that the boys often play you against your wife. That's not going to do those boys of yours_ _any good_ _. Sooner or later you'll find them revolting or acting out even worse than they are now." Tom shrugged his shoulders. "My boys aren't saints, Rufus, but they know the rules. They also know there'll be consequences for any wrong choices. Most of all, they know they can't play Victoria and_ _me_ _against each other." Tom sighed, due to a comment Rufus had made concerning Tom. "Don't put me on a pedestal. I'm human. I've made good choices and I've made bad ones." He looked towards Victoria, who was standing under a tall Oak tree visiting some of the other mothers. "And, in spite of what you said, I_ _came_ _close to losing my wife and sons once." He wasn't surprised by the shock on Rufus' face. "You heard me right; but no, don't ask me for details. I gave them to Victoria, and she forgave me on the condition we put the incident behind us and never talk of it again." He straightened up. "If you don't want heartache from you boys, think about what I've said. After all, there_ _ **is**_ _a difference between strictness and harshness."_

Rufus shook his head. It had taken him years to get rid of the harshness Tom had talked about, and it had taken longer than it should have for him and his wife to 'be on the same page' as it were. Sadly, he could see his late friend had been right. He was getting nothing but heartache from his sons now. Rufus turned slowly around, hoping that heartache wasn't going to include burying one of his sons or watching Tom's widow bury any of hers.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Brydie…who had returned home with her and Heath's two children earlier than planned…lay in the bed she shared with her husband; she lay in the crook of his arm. He was catching her up on everything that had been happening while she and the children were away from the house. "Jarrod's fighting Rufus Morton's claim, but I fear those sons of his won't just wait for the law to decide the matter. If they do do something, you know Nick will fight back with all he's got." Heath paused and then amended his statement. "All of us will fight back. I don't like the prospects of what could very well be the results of such a conflict."

Byrdie sat up and looked at Heath. "What else be there? And don't go be tellin' me nothin'. I can feel it; somethin **'** else is botherin' you."

Heath sighed, sat up and rested against the headboard. He might as well tell her the rest. After all, Nick and Maria wanted him to take Brydie and the children over to their house for supper. "We never would have learned about JR's and Zach's plans if it weren't for a friend of Nick and Maria's, one they met while traveling to Montana." He went on to tell her all about Shaun Callahan, along with the conversation he'd had with the gentleman at the fair. "If it weren't for the fact that I saw something; don't ask me what as I can't explain it, as he turned to go into the bunkhouse I'd wouldn't be so uneasy. I mean, he's right. Nick and I do need to talk even if neither one of us would change a thing when it comes to our marriages. I am planning on riding out there once I'm done here." He turned to look at Brydie and was suprised to see that her face had filled with shock. He stiffened immediately and, turning towards his wife, he took a hold of her shoulders and asked what was wrong.

"What does this Mr. Callahan look like?" Brydie asked slowly; which, of course, did not help Heath relax in anyway. **"**

"I'd say he's in his late forties; maybe, early fifties. Though, his dark brown, almost black, hair has no signs of graying in them. He's fairly tall, and his eyes are brown. Why? How do you know him?" Heath leaned slightly forward. His eyes full of worry that he was going to hear something horrible.

"Well, I'll be!" Brydie slipped out of bed and started dressing for the day. "You say he's been here a week?"

"Rode into town last Thursday around noon," Heath too climbed out of the bed. "He's been staying out at Nick and Maria's, as I said." By this time Heath had put his pants on and was sliding his shirt on.

"Well, I'll be!" Brydie said for a second time.

Heath, who didn't care to hear the same sentence twice, demanded-as politely as he could- to know what on earth his wife was talking about.

"A man by that name-and that description-sat across from the children and me on the train. Shortly after we left Stockton!" Brydie, who had her dress on by this time, asked Heath if he'd do up the buttons in the back. "After we introduced ourselves, and he found out I was related to Nick and Maria, he wanted to know how Nick was, how he was doing since he and Maria left Montana. I told him things were fine. I did admit I wondered, due to an occasional look I'd see in your eyes or Nick's, if the two of you had ever really sat down and talked." She went on to say the gentleman she'd talked to had gotten off the train at one of the water tanks, taking his horse out of the animal car when he did. "Now, what else be botherin' you? And don't be tellin' me nothing'. I can see it in your eyes." Brydie sat in front of her vanity and started brushing her hair.

"I don't know for sure." Heath told her as he finished dressing. "Just get the feeling there's something he's still not saying. Can't help but wonder what he's hiding and why **.** "

Brydie, who didn't like the sound of that, stopped brushing her hair-though she kept the brush in her hand. "You think he's secretly working with the Mortons?"

Heath had thought about that only, when he did, he'd been surprised to get the overwhelming, reassuring feeling that was _not_ the case. "No, he wants the matter settled as much as the rest of us. There's just something else he's not saying."

"If you feel strongly 'it' is connected to this family, you should be sayin' somethin'. If not, it be his business not ours." Brydie went back to brushing her hair, receiving no argument from Heath. It wasn't long before he was eating breakfast with his small family and then riding out towards Nick's.

While Heath was riding towards the Nick's home, Shaun and Nick were out feeding the cows. Shaun had just shocked Nick by telling him that Heath was heading their way. "Bet you ten to one he is," Shaun smiled as he tossed some hay out of the wagon; it landed near some of the hungry animals. "I can feel him."

Nick chuckled. "No bet," During the time he'd known Shaun Callahan, he'd learned just how good Shaun's feelings were. He wasn't about to lose any money to him by being stupid enough to do that one. Though, he stopped when Shaun asked if Nick was ready to sit down and talk to the blonde haired cowboy. "I can't deny you have a point, and we do need to do what you say." Nick climbed back into the wagon. "But, I don't think you need to press the issue yourself." Then, changing the subject, he said, "I heard you telling Maria you weren't sure where you were going to go after you leave here."

"You heard right." Shaun nodded as Nick began driving the wagon to another part of the field. "I have to leave. After all, I don't want to over stay my welcome in your home."

Nick would have told Shaun that could never happen, only he knew that wasn't the case. No one liked company that showed up and then tried to simply move in. Though, he didn't like the idea of Shaun having to live in town either. "Why not just work for me? You can stay in the bunkhouse, and don't tell me I have all the hands I need. If you remember, Michael Thomas-a young man who has been working for me for the last year-is leaving in a couple of days. Got it into his head to go to college,"

"I'll think about it; I promise." Shaun said, "But I think I can handle the work we're doing now from here. Your brother's coming towards us." He pointed off to his left. Sure enough, Nick could see Heath riding in their direction. He climbed out of the wagon and started towards his brother.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

A/N Best hold onto your seat…there's a major "bombshell" that's going to drop in the last part of this chapter. You also might want to hold onto your heartstrings...as one of the characters might tug on them.

Nick and Heath, who had ridden to Nick's home, sat on a white, marble bench that Maria had had her husband place under one of the tall Oak trees that stood at the far end of the front yard. Nick was on one end while Heath sat on the other. Their talk home had been kept light; but now, seeing Maria playing with the children in the other side of the grass- Heath figured they'd side-stepped the issue long enough.

"I don't hold it against you, Nick. I mean, you falling in love with Maria and marrying her." Heath turned his head and looked at Nick. "I guess I should have told you that before now."

"Been talking to Shaun?" Nick turned his own head and gave Heath a lopsided grin. He could just imagine 'the old goat' doing such a thing.

"At the fair," Heath nodded as he started looking around. "He's concerned about the Mortons and what they're trying to do. He's afraid there will be even more trouble, and one of us will find ourselves in the same boat as him. That is, one of us will be killed and the other will be left to face the fact any issue between us was never really resolved."

Nick said nothing as he kicked his feet outward, kicking one over the other as he did so. He rested the palms of his hands on the edge, his fingers curled under and touched the bottom of the bench. Finally, he let out a long drawn out sigh. "I could tell you and Brydie were happy when Maria and I came back; however, you also seem agitated. Made me think you were angry with me after all, and that made me wonder if I'd made a mistake in listening to Jarrod when it came to coming home." He shrugged his shoulders. "I pushed the thought aside, seeing how you seemed so happy with Brydie and your children. Told myself we just needed time," He then slowly admitted that, every now and then, he'd wonder how Heath really felt about what had happened. "I just never could get myself to ask. Stupid, I know."

Heath shrugged his shoulders. "Well, can't bad mouth you too loud can I?" He reached over and clasped Nick's shoulder and gave it a slight shake. "It's like I told Mother, I was only upset because I was part of the reason you didn't contact us. Told her I was thinking of hitting you for it, but I never did. When it comes to my marriage, I _am_ happy and _very_ much in love with my wife. Like I said, I should have spoken up before only," Heath shrugged. "I couldn't see where it would do any good. The two of you had two children with one on the way while Brydie and I had our two children. Never took time to think that we needed to say anything out loud **,** "

"You can still do it, if you want." Nick grinned at him.

The puzzled look that appeared on Heath's face only lasted a split second, and then all he did was bust up laughing. "Naw, don't want to do hit you now." He paused as his eyes lit up even more. "Then again…" He doubled up his fist and swung, knocking Nick off the bench.

Nick grinned as he sat up and rubbed his jaw. "Anything else?"

Heath shook his head as he held out his hand. "No, felt good though." Nick only laughed and re-joined his blonde haired brother on the bench.

Because the two brothers were so focused on talking to each other, they didn't see Shaun sitting on his horse a good four hundred yards away, nor was there any way to hear the man sigh as he replayed the scene from the night before through his mind.

 _He was sitting on the porch when he heard small footsteps walk through the front door. He turned his head expecting to see one of Nick's sons only to be surprised when he saw Catalina instead. He was even more surprised when she climbed up onto his lap and, putting her hands on his face, looked into his eyes. The fact that it was as if she could see right through him (which he didn't doubt for a moment) made him as uneasy as did when she first set eyes on him._

" _What is it, child? What do you want?" Shaun, who had been thinking about the last reason he'd come to Stockton, the reason he kept to himself and the reason he was still thinking to move off the ranch and into town, couldn't help but wonder if he was wasting his time when it came to asking such a question. After all, as he'd told Nick and Maria, young children had a sixth sense. Though, in this case, he wished that had not been the case._

 _The young child wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "Please, go away. I don't want anyone to die, especially my daddy or one of my uncles."_

 _Shaun felt his heart break in two as he wrapped his arms around the small child. "You know why I have never really confirmed what others have said, and why I told your father if he was talking to a dead man he'd have t be the one to explain how he was doing it. You know everything, don't you?" He pulled her away from him and looked into her sad eyes. It only made his heart hurt even worse._

 _Catalina's eyes filled with tears as she nodded. ""You're an angel of death, one that takes only good people home. I saw you come and get 'Grandpa Adams' when he passed away last year-even if no one else did. I heard you assure him that he was going to happy where you were taking him because you aren't the type of death angel that deals with bad people." 'Grandpa Adams' was actually a former ranch hand that had never married, but had been wonderful with any person-old or young-he had contact with. Nick and Maria had allowed the old man to live out his 'golden years' in their guest bedroom-as they felt sorry for him, seeing how he had no family left._

 _Shaun's eyes widened. He had been unaware of any children in 'Grandpa Adams' room when he'd gone to pick up the old man. Though, he didn't waste time in asking where Catalina had been. "I'm sorry. I can't promise you anything for sure. I'm not really sure who I'll be taking back with me-or if I'll even be picking someone up. You see, sometimes I'm simply helping people put the past truly behind them... sometimes it's to do both. In this case, HE hasn't told me yet. Though, tell me, if you know who I am, why didn't you tell your parents?"_

 _Catalina frowned slightly and pouted. "I wanted to, but HE," she pointed upwards, "won't let me. He can be just as stubborn as my daddy."_

Shaun had wanted to bust up laughing when he'd heard Nick's young daughter make her last statement only, to keep from giving her the wrong idea, he didn't. He'd simply promised he wouldn't take anyone 'home' that he absolutely didn't have to and then sent her back into the house. Sighing, he turned his horse around and disappeared back into the hills. He couldn't risk losing track of time, as he still needed to finish feeding the cattle. After all, he'd only come to check to make sure Nick and Heath were talking things out. For, as much as he hated the idea he might very well be taking one of them hope-he hated the idea of separating them before they had any issue-large or small-resolved even more.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

It was almost one in the morning, and there was very little light. It was all Shaun could do not to let out a string of curse words as he made his way towards the land that the Mortons were trying to get. He had better things to do at this time night than trying throw some good solid fear into Zach Morton. Only, since he felt strongly that the man was going to try and pull something, Shaun felt as if he had no choice. How could he when Nick, Heath-who had ridden out to inform Nick that a court date had been set, and Nick's foreman had had to chase Zach and a no good friend of his away from the fence line the day before? Once again, Shaun intervened…only this time it was to keep Heath from being shot. If he could stop a death from occurring, he did. However, if this kept up, Shaun just knew he find himself in a position where he had no choice but to help someone cross over. That idea made him sick even if he was one of many "Death Angels".

As the land which was in dispute came into view, Shaun shook his head. Sure enough, Zach Morton had a wagon parked in front of the fence he'd been chased away. He was in the process of putting ropes around a few poles and then securing the other end of the rope to the wagon. It didn't take a genius to figure out the man was intending to pull down the fence line down. No one had to tell Shaun what was motivating Mr. Morton to take such actions. Shaun knew of the old mine Maria's father had never talked about. That is, Maria's father had let everyone believe the old mine on this side of the ranch had been mined out, and that there was nothing left. Only the truth was, it was full of silver-just waiting to be taken. That was a fact Shaun now realized he'd kept overlooking…as he'd been too busy trying to get Nick and Heath to talk, along with doing his best to keep them alive. He'd have to rectify that one as soon as he could.

With no witnesses around to see just how fast he could really move, Shaun moved like lightning. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Shaun, who was now resting his arms over the side of the wagon, spoke up. It was all he could do not to laugh as Zach dropped the rope in his hands and jumped ten feet in the air before whirling around and landing on his feet, his gun in his hand.

Never having seen Shaun before Zach exploded. "That was pretty stupid, mister! I almost pulled this trigger! Who are you? What are you doing here?" He waved the gun through the air.

Shaun wasn't about to grace the trouble maker with any answers. Instead, he grinned wide. "Go ahead, try it." He'd love to see Zach's reaction when the bullet hit the tree behind him instead of killing him. Again, it was all he could do not to laugh at the look of disbelief that appeared on Zach's face.

"You're crazy." Zach snapped as he slipped his pistol back into his holster and picked the rope back up. "Only I suggest you keep moving old man. I have a job to do, and I don't need your help."

"I think you do." Shaun stepped around the wagon, reached out and then yanked the rope out of Zach's hands-along with removing the man's pistol from his holster. Only thing was, he did it so fast that all Zach could do was stare and mutter.

"H..How you'd d..o that!" Zach blinked his eyes, as if he was trying to wake up from a bad dream. He got an answer, but not the one he was expecting. One minute he was standing near the fence, the next minute the 'old man' had grabbed him by the collar and pinned him up against a tree…one that stood a good ten feet away!

"W…what the…" Zach started to stammer only to have Shaun interrupt him.

"Look here," Shaun's glare was enough to scare the daylights out of Zach-whose eyes were wide with fear. "Your brother backed off and is letting the law handle this stupid dispute! You need to too, before someone dies because of your greed!" He tightened his grip on Zach, as his tone hardened even more. "You came close to killing both Nick and Heath on the two occasions you tried this stunt with your friends." He wasn't surprised when Zach started to deny it, but he didn't let the man get more than a syllable out before he started laying into him again. "I'm not here to listen to you deny the truth. I'm here to warn you." Shaun's eyes turned dark-sending more chills down Zach's back. "If you ever succeed in killing Nick or Heath; for that matter, if any of the Barkleys – or any of their friends- die by your hand, I will haunt you every day of your life! You will see me every time you turn around, until you lose your mind and land in one of those places for the mentally disturbed! That is a promise…I don't care what penalty I'll have to pay for doing so!" He let go of Zach's shirt and stepped back, not caring if Zach didn't know who, and what, he really was.

While Zach was scared, he was also angry at a threat he had no way of comprehending. He lunged at Shaun only to receive another shock…the man had went from standing in front of him to standing next to the wagon. He gulped as Shaun repeated his threat…and then disappeared from view.

Zach, whose entire being was now shaking, jumped when he heard the sound of an owl break the now eerie silence. He still wanted to tear down the fences only problem was, he was shaking too much. It was all he could do to walk back to the wagon. By the time he reach the side of the buckboard, he decided he'd just had too long of a day and evening. He told himself he'd get a good night sleep and come back the first chance he got-without going to the saloon first. "Got to stop hallucinating and get that land one way or the other," He muttered as he managed to climb up on the buckboard.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

From where he sat on his horse, Shaun could see Nick and Maria standing in the front yard of their home. They were talking with Heath and Brydie-who had brought their two children with them, along with Jarrod. Nick and Maria's nanny was watching the children while the adults talked. Shaun almost hated interrupting the gathering only after the run in he'd had with Zach, he didn't see where he had much of a choice. The Barkleys needed to know about the mine Zach was after. While he started his horse forward, Jarrod was informing his brothers and sisters-in-law their court date had been changed. Naturally, Nick wasn't exactly pleased.

"Why? Do the Mortons need more time to fabricate some evidence?" He didn't even attempt to cover his sarcasm.

While Jarrod agreed any 'evidence' brought to court had a high chance of being false, he wasn't about to admit it out loud. He didn't need to give Nick anything that his hot tempered brother would take as a signal to use his method of dealing with any given situation. "No," Jarrod shook his head. "The judge has had a family emergency arise. He's going to be out of town for a few weeks. I just want to know why the Mortons want that land so bad."

"I can answer that." Shaun, who had dismounted his horse and walked up behind Jarrod, answered before quickly apologizing…as he'd made all three brothers and their wives jump. "Sorry, thought you'd hear my horse approaching." He leaned against a tree that stood a mere three feet away from Jarrod.

"Don't worry about it." Jarrod told him before asking just what he knew, a question both Nick and Heath repeated. That is, Heath gave him a quizzical look while Nick flat out demanded an explanation.

Shaun looked at Maria, and then shocked everyone by telling them what her father had hid from the rest of his family and neighbors. "He didn't want his land overrun with men looking to get rich. Besides, he really didn't believe there was any silver in it." He went on to tell them it was Zach pushing the issue. "Rufus only filed those papers in court to appease his sons and try to keep them from making trouble for your family."

"Just when did you find this out?" Nick asked, a bit perturbed that his friend had kept quiet when it came to the mine.

"Not all that long ago, but still long enough that I should have spoken up sooner. All I can say is I'm sorry. Do you want to belt me another one?" He folded his arms and looked at the hot tempered brother.

"No," Nick said after both Jarrod and Heath gave him looks that said 'he's working with us, not against us. Cut him some slack'. "Is there anything else you need to tell us?"

Shaun looked past the adults and watched the children for a quick moment. Inwardly, he sighed as his eyes fell on Catalina-who had sat down on the grass and was looking at him. The concerned look in her eyes still made his heart ache. A part of him didn't want to say anything else, but the family needed to be told what Zach had attempted to do the night before. "Unfortunately, there is. I couldn't sleep the other night, so I went on a long walk." He proceed to them the basics of the run in with Zach. "He'd been drinking, but he still knew what he was doing."

No one was surprised when Nick exploded. "That son….he stopped himself as he looked at his wife and sister-in-law. "We're going to have men watching that area twenty four hours a day until the court date. I'll talk to my foreman. He, I and the men who work under us can make up a schedule." He paused and then asked about McColl and the men working under Heath. "Can you spare some of your men as well?"

"Of course, and I'll take my shift the same as you will." Heath grinned, knowing full well Nick wasn't going to just stand by and do nothing.

"I'll take a shift as well." Jarrod spoke up and then stopped his brothers when they started to object. "I don't have any cases to keep me busy at the moment."

"Anything else?" Nick's eyes chuckled as he looked at Shaun.

Shaun, who didn't mind the teasing, smiled and assured him that he'd told him all he could. "Though," he grew serious. "I'd like to talk to Catalina before you start anyone's watch. That is, with your permission." He looked at Maria as well as Nick.

"Go ahead," Maria smiled, thinking the gentleman was still feeling bad about that Catalina had, apparently, sensed the news he was bringing. "But, no matter what she says or how well she talks, she still has the understanding of a child not quite three. Remember that, ok?"

Shaun only nodded as he walked away. Soon, he was sitting on the grass next to Catalina. Since their daughter didn't start hitting Shaun or screaming at him, Nick and the others began their own conversation back up.

While they did so, Shaun was explaining to Catalina that he wouldn't be staying around much longer, maybe up to a week.

"Are you taking daddy or one of my uncles with you?" Catalina looked at him with the same sad look she had before. It made Shaun wish he could promise her up and down that would not be the case.

' _You've pushed the lines a few times already. You'll know when the time arrives."_ Shaun could still hear the irritation in his supervisor's voice when Shaun had asked him-in essence-the very same thing, probably upset that he wasn't being allowed to do anything to punish Shaun for 'not going by the book and actually getting away with it'. "I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders as he gave Catalina a sad smile of his own. "Only, I told you before, I'll only take one of them if I absolutely have to. I'll make sure I come and talk to you again too." He took a deep breath and then did his best to explain to her that no one's 'tomorrow' was guaranteed. "That's why all people can do is take one day at a time, making most of the time they do have. That way, when their time does come….they will have very few-if any-regrets."

Catalina still didn't like not knowing, but she surprised Shaun-and the Barkleys who had looked towards Shaun and Catalina to see how they were doing-when she climbed onto Shauns' lap and hugged him. Though, they had no way of hearing her whisper in a very serious tone that she could accept that, but he'd better keep his promise. They also couldn't see the huge smile that spread across the man's face, as his back was turned away from them.

"Guess I best go talk to McColl." Heath looked at Brydie. "You want to stay here for a while?"

"If you don't mind," Brydie answered before turning her attention back to Maria and a story she'd begun to tell. Jarrod excused himself as well while Nick headed for the barn where he was going to talk with his foreman.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Shaun watched the Morton house from the top of a hill. It wasn't until Zach had ridden away did he make his way down the hill and to the home where Rufus was standing on the porch. Mr. Morton was a good enough man who had actually come a long ways from the man he used to be. At least, that was what Shaun's supervisor had told him. Still, the fact remained that the man's past behavior had caught up with him in the actions of his sons. If it wasn't for desperation on his own part, Shaun wouldn't have bothered making the trip.

Rufus, who unlike Zach, knew exactly who his visitor was-he'd seen him in town with Nick and Heath and asked the bartender who Shaun was-stepped off his porched. "What are you doing here? The Barkleys send you?"

Shaun, who heard the suspicion in the man's voice loud and clear, leaned forward in his saddle, resting his hands on the horn of the saddle as he did so. "No, they don't even know I'm here."

Rufus frowned slightly. "What you doing? Switching side?"

"NO," Shaun stressed the word a bit more than he meant to, and then apologized. "Look, I didn't come to fight with you. I came to ask that you sit that boy of yours, the one named Zach, down and try one more time to talk some sense into him. Or, have his brother talk to him. I hear JR has a way of getting Zach to listen when no one else can." He went on to inform Rufus that Zach had been chased away from the disputed fence line time and time again-along with some of the man's friends who had been stupid enough to accept the lies that Zach was telling them. Though, Shaun left out the night he himself had dealt with Rufus's son. "If he keeps this up, he might be killed or injured…or someone else might be be. "

Rufus' eyes filled with both frustration and resignation. "Don't you think I've thought about that! I've talked myself blue in the face! I'm lucky JR has backed off only Zach's not listening to me-or JR!" Rufus gestured in the direction his son had went. "Now, if you don't mind, if that's all you came for…you can leave." He turned and disappeared into his house.

Shaun shook his head. Unbeknownst to the Barkleys, he'd disguised himself on more than one occasion and tried talking to the men who had been helping Zach….tried to get them to listen to reason. Some had listened, some had not. This trip to Rufus' had been a last ditch effort on Shaun's part. He turned his horse around and whispered; thinking of Catalina and the sad look in her eyes, "I'm sorry, girl. I did my best to stop what's coming. For your sake, I just knew who is going to be injured...maybe even cross over."

While Shaun was riding towards the Mortons, and then talking with Rufus, Heath was sitting in Jarrod's office shocking his older brother by asking him to redo Heath's will. "Nick asked me to do the same thing just this morning. Do the two of you really think Zach's going to pull something that big? I mean big enough that one of you may be killed?"

"You don't have to have a huge fight to get someone hurt or killed; you know that." Heath, more than agitated, stood and walked around the room. "As you know, Zach and his friends have already exchanged fire with us on a couple of times. What Nick and I never told you was bullets missed both of us by mere inches on two separate occasions. That is, one missed Nick while he was with his foreman, and one missed me later." He wasn't surprised when Jarrod's eyes widened in shock-and saw a bit of anger in them, for being left in the dark on that one. "Guess Nick doesn't like the idea of Maria being left a widow with no way to provide for herself and their children any more than I want Brydie trying to raise our children on her own." Taking a hold of the window seal, Heath leaned forward as he hung his head and let out a long sigh. "Last time I felt like this I lost a good friend of mine in the war." He lifted his head and turned his eyes towards Jarrod. "Nick says lost time he had a similar feeling was when our father was killed by the railroad. So, to answer your question; yes, we both fear we might be dealing with another family crisis because of Zach's greed."

Jarrod didn't like it, mostly because he'd been trying to shake off similar feelings the past few weeks. It was the main reason he'd been pushing for the court date to be moved back up. Only, so far, his efforts had been in vain. Now, learning how close his brothers had come to being injured or killed- and remembering how he'd said he'd help with patrolling the area, he told Heath, "Jennifer's due back this afternoon."

Heath didn't have to ask where Jarrod's statement was coming from. "I've talked to Nick about that, along with your offer to help keep an eye out for Zach and his friends." He stepped away from the window and sat back down. "We're asking you not to join the men patrolling the disputed area, Jarrod. We need you here-doing what you can to get that court date moved up."

"But…" Jarrod started to argue only to have his blonde haired brother interrupt.

"Please, I'm not trying to be rude or anything like that. Only, we don't need all three of us out there-not with his foreman, McColl and the other men who are taking turns." Heath's eyes begged Jarrod to listen.

"Fine," Jarrod finally sat back and agreed. "But only if you and Nick will bring your families over to the main house for dinner and games tonight, let McColl and the others worry about the disputed fence line for now. I don't know about the two of you, but I need a night just to relax with the family."

Heath grinned as he stood up. "I'll talk to Nick. I'm sure he and Maria will be fine with that request, and I know Brydie will be." He turned to leave. "Now, please, get my will updated. I am going to ride out to the ranch and talk to Nick, find out if our 'friend' has been out there again." He then excused himself and left the room, seeing no need to specify that when he said friend in a sarcastic tone of voice he was talking about Zach.

Jarrod just nodded and went back to the work Heath had interrupted when he'd walked into the office.


	14. Lull Before the Storm

Chapter Fourteen

"You're it!" Heath's five year old son, Morgan, tapped his father who had been "running" from him and the other Barkley grandchildren and laughed. Heath and the other adults were all in the front yard of the main house. Some of them were standing while the rest were sitting on chairs that Nick, Heath **,** and Jarrod had carried out of the house.

"I think Resolve can take over being 'it'." Heath looked at his nephew with a look that said 'take it easy on the younger children'. He took a hold of a chair that sat next to Brydie. "I'm going to sit down."

"What's wrong?" Nick grinned as he sat in a lawn chair near Victoria. "Getting too old to keep up with the children?"

"I don't see you out there running around." Heath shot back-even as one of his rare, large grins spread across his face just as his four year old daughter, Victoria Ann, climbed onto his lap.

Nick looked down at his right leg; Catalina was sitting on his boot with her arms wrapped around his leg. "Well, I've been sort of tied down. I'll be lucky if I get a chance to join in the fun." He grinned wide as everyone started laughing.

"Yeah, I'm lucky I got to be 'it' for even one round." Heath gave Nick a small, lopsided grin as his daughter wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight; though, his eyes were filled with concern. Truth was, both Victoria Ann and Catalina had been clinging to their fathers more than usual, and it was hard for him and the rest of the Barkleys to ignore.

Maria, who was sitting on a chair under her favorite Willow tree and thinking the two girls needed a distraction, spoke up, "Why don't we have Resolve take the children inside, to the kitchen? Silas should have some cookies for them."

"I'll do it." Nick turned and started for the house, after convincing Victoria Ann to let go of Heath and telling his daughter to hang on tight…and then yelling for the other children. Needless to say, the mere mention of cookies had the children dropping what they were doing and running to see who could get to the kitchen first.

Heath watched as Nick and the children disappeared into the house. When the door shut, he turned his attention to Brydie and the others. "Thought we'd done pretty good when it came to not talking about the problems with the Mortons, now I'm thinking different."

"I think we've succeed with everyone but those two girls." Jarrod- who was standing next to his wife- noted, though his eyes were also filled with the same look that was on his blonde haired brother's face. Then, thinking to change the somber mood that had fallen upon the group, he asked Maria when Nick's foreman and McColl were going to show up. "I invited them and their families as well." He also inquired about Shaun Callahan and his whereabouts.

Maria hated answering because Jarrod's question wasn't going to change the subject the way she knew he wanted it to. "McColl stopped by. A few of the men who were supposed to be patrolling the disputed land this evening aren't feeling well. Our foreman and Shaun went with him instead, due to the fact that some of Zach Morton's friends were caught trying to cut through some fence farther down the disputed line…a fence that runs through a heavily wooded area with a small river running through it."

Jarrod sighed inwardly, even as he made himself smile. The family had been having such a relaxing evening-even with Catalina's and Victoria Ann's behavior, he was determined to enjoy the rest of the evening as well. "I guess we best find some games to pl…." He stopped short when he heard the sound of hoofs pounding upon the ground, as if the rider was pushing his horse. He quickly turned around and looked behind him; the others looked as well.

"McColl!" Heath moved towards the rider without half thinking, as did Jarrod and Nick-who had stepped outside when he'd seen who was approaching the main house. The moment the Barkley's long time foreman stopped his horse, Heath demanded to know what had happened.

"A few strangers, don't know their names-probably connected to Zach, as I could have sworn I saw him, showed up and made trouble for us. All but two are on their way to the Stockton jail. However," McColl shook his head, "The two we didn't get, along with Barrett and Mr. Callahan, fell into the river while fighting. The men that were with us are following the river and trying to find them, but we need more help. Just don't ask me to swear to the part about Zach in a court of law and; no, no one else thought they saw him." he looked apologetically at the Barkleys.

The three brothers did their best not to swear. This was not the way the night was supposed to end. "I'll get my horse. Please, talk to Catalina for me." Nick looked apologetically at his wife. "She's expecting me back in the house."

"You'll have to do the same with Victoria Ann." Heath turned and looked at Brydie, who simply nodded her head. However, when Jarrod turned to Jennifer and said he was going too, both Nick and Heath objected to Jarrod going.

"I told you at the office." Heath stressed his words. "We need you to stay behind and do what you can legal wise, maybe even go talk to those men were taken prisoners."

"Please, Jarrod." Nick spoke up when it looked as if Jarrod would object. "Heath's right. Maybe you could get at least one of those men to spill the beans as it were." He hoped Jarrod would not fight them on it.

Jarrod might have fought his brothers only his mother, his wife and both his sisters-in-law started saying the same thing. "Fine, but get going. The sooner you find them, the sooner you can get back. I'll go to the jail and talk to those men."

"Thanks, Jarrod." Nick and Heath said at the same time and then headed for the barn and their horses, only to turn around and hug their wives. Afterwards they wasted no time getting their horses and leaving with McColl-who had been patiently waiting for them.

Jarrod didn't waste his time in saddling his horse either. Soon he was riding away from the ranch and towards Stockton.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

When he heard the door to his office open, the temporary deputy-a blonde haired gentleman in his late thirties, by the name of Kyle Jepson, looked up from the wanted posters he'd been looking at. He was surprised, but not shocked, to see Jarrod walking through the doorway.

"I suppose you want to talk to my newest prisoners?" Mr. Jepson stood up as he asked the question.

"Yes, with you as my witness." Jarrod was in no mood to have the men he wished to see take his words and twist them later. Mr. Jepson must have been in a similar mood-as he made no excuses to stay at his desk. He simply opened the silver door that led to the prisoners' cells.

Jarrod watched as three of the four men who had been brought in, sat up on their cots. All wore some sort of facial hair-whether it be a mustache or mustache, along with a beard. They also looked as if they needed a bath; though, they must have been allowed to clean up a little at least. None of them downright smelled bad.

"Let's cut to the point." Jarrod folded his arms and glared at the men behind the bars. "My name is Jarrod Barkley. Yes," he said when one of the men stared at him. "It's my family's ranch you were making trouble on. However, as an attorney, I am willing to get you some leniency on the charges IF you tell us who hired you to make the trouble-and why if you actually know that." Jarrod was sure it was Zach Morton behind the trouble. Still, he had to have proof. So, while he may not like offering them leniency, if it stopped the trouble, it would be worth it.

"Mister," the man who was sitting closest to the bars – a red head who appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, answered him. "None of us could tell you the 'who' or 'why' to save our lives, and we've never heard that name before." He went on to say they'd been hunting and camping in the hills. "When we got back to our camp there was a lot of money along with a note. It said if we succeeded in tearing down that fence line there would be more money waiting for us." The man gave an eerie short of laugh and then added none of them believed the last part. "Still, for two thousand dollars, it was worth a try."

Two thousand! Jarrod and the deputy looked at each other. Zach had to behind it. Still, with no way to prove it…Jarrod started to turn away only to have the fourth man, a young blonde haired man who was lying on a cot with his back to Jarrod and didn't look a day over nineteen, speak up.

"Mister, one of our men fell into the river fighting a dark haired gentleman one of your men called Barrett. If you find him, our friend that is, he could tell you. At least, just before the fight broke out, he claimed he knew who was behind the offer."

"What!" The man who had just finished talking to Jarrod turned on his younger comrade. "Why didn't you say so!"

"I couldn't!" The young man rolled around, propped himself up using his left arm and barked back. "Likes I just said, Matthew only told me moments before the fight broke out. And, before you ask why you didn't hear him-he was whispering. Don't ask me why; I don't know."

Jarrod cursed silently. He hoped the search party would find this 'Matthew' and get the man to talk…or that he, himself, could get the troublemaker to spill the beans as it were. He turned away from the prisoners and headed for the door, ignoring any other comments the men happened to make. After all, none of them were saying anything new or useful. Once outside, he headed back to the ranch hoping find his brothers had had better luck than he'd had.

While Jarrod had been riding to Stockton and talking to the prisoners, Nick and Heath had joined the search party. They'd had to duck to keep more than one tree branch from hitting them. "Go figure they'd choose this part of the ranch to cause trouble," Heath looked at Nick who was keeping his eyes on the riverbank. The two of them, along with McColl and Paul-McColl's nephew, were searching the bank while the other men searched the woods. Before Nick had time to reply, McColl-who was farther up the riverbank, was yelling for them.

"What is it?" Both brothers asked after pushing their horses forward and then dismounting when they got close enough to warrant getting off the animals.

"It's Barrett and one of the strangers." McColl answered as he and nephew dragged an unconscious, but breathing, Barrett out of some fall tree limbs. "He's alive." McColl stepped back as Nick knelt beside the long time Barkley employee. "The stranger is alive too." McColl said as he turned back to the river an began pulling the unconscious stranger out of the water, wasting no time in doing two things…making sure the man had no life threatening injuries, and securing the man's arms behind his back. McColl didn't care if the man was aware of the ropes; he wasn't about to take a risk of the man fighting back once he regained consciousness.

Nick, who was helping Barrett-who had regained consciousness and was coughing up water- paid little attention to McColl and the stranger he was taking care of, as he asked Barrett about the other missing men. "Don't suppose you know where Shaun and the man he was fighting went to, do you?"

Barrett coughed a few more times before answering. "The man your friend was fighting," he shook his head and blinked his eyes-as if to make sure they were working right. "It was weird. He was almost to the bank when the strangest thing happened."

When Barrett quit speaking, McColl, Nick and Heath all pushed him to tell them what he meant by strange.

"It looked as if a huge black mist rose up from beneath the water, and then what appeared to be a ginormous black hand reached out and took a hold of him. It dragged him back into the river and pulled him under…the whole time he was screaming horribly."

Heath, Nick and McColl exchanged looks that said they didn't know what to think about what they'd just heard. "And Shaun?"

Barrett shrugged his shoulders. "The current was still carrying him down stream last time I saw him, probably drowned too."

"I'm going to keep looking." Nick headed for his horse-as a few of the men in the search party had ridden up-ensuring McColl, Barret and Heath would help. However, with the arrival of the other men, Heath wasn't about to stay behind. Though, when they rode away, they weren't alone. McColl insisted that one of the other men go with them, an action neither one of the brothers argued with.


	16. Chapter 16

If Tomorrow Never Comes Chapter Sixteen

Nick, Heath and Tyler James (the young black haired man McColl had insisted join the two Barkley brothers in their continued search) had ridden home, talked to their families **,** and then set out again…even though it meant camping out. 'We have to beef up the patrol we have on the fence line, keep an eye out for Shaun and find Zach if we can' had been their exact words, especially when the sheriff told them Zach had not been at home when he went to question him. Now, with the full moon shedding its light on the camp, the three sat around the campfire talking, their mind on Shaun Callahan, where he might be **,** and how they were going to prove Zach was behind the hired men causing the trouble.

"That stranger McColl pulled out of the river might be willing to talk. When it comes to Mister Callahan," Tyler spoke slowly and cautiously, not wanting to upset either one of the Barkleys, "he could very well have drowned. I mean, if he were alive, I'd think he'd have been waiting for you at your house." He looked at Nick. "Or at least gone into town."

The sound of crickets could be heard as Nick thought for a moment and then shook his head. As much as Tyler made sense, Nick wasn't buying it. "I'll not accept the fact that he drowned until someone finds his body. I'm not grieving his loss a second time until I have proof of his passing."

Heath might have sided with Tyler only he agreed with Nick. Besides, since he'd begun to get the feeling they were being watched, Shaun Callahan's whereabouts were pushed aside. It was a feeling his brother must have felt as well, for he grew quiet and placed his hand over his pistol which was still in his holster; Heath and Tyler did the same with their weapons.

"Zach?" Heath whispered, wondering if by some chance McColl was right and that Zach Morton had indeed been with the group-or at least nearby when the trouble first started. However, neither Nick or Tyler had a chance to answer before they were surprised to see JR Morton ride into their view. He dismounted his horse and then, with his hands and arms held away from his body, stepped forward.

JR, who didn't want to be shot, called out, "Don't shoot, I'm not here to cause trouble. I don't even my gun on me."

Thanks to the bright light from the moon, Nick and the others could see JR was telling the truth; he wore no gun belt, and he had no jacket in which to hide a weapon of any sort.

Nick, Heath and Tyler relaxed and moved their hands off their pistols. "What do you want?" Nick stood up. "Where is Zach?" He couldn't believe JR was by himself.

"I don't know." JR walked up to the campfire after tethering his horse to nearby tree, a look of desperation in his eyes. "Heard about what was happening when Jarrod rode into town, Pa and I were afraid my brother was behind this. Pa wanted me to find Zach, try to get him to see reason before it was too late."

Nick smirked and sat down as a look of disgust filled his, Heath's, and Tyler's eyes. "Barrett almost drowned!" Nick snapped, not caring if JR flinched or not. "One of the men we assume Zach hired did. We don't know about Shaun Callahan. I'd say it's already 'too late'. If you have any idea where your brother is, if he _did_ have anything to do with this, what you need to do is get himself to turn himself in before anything else happens." Even as Nick spoke he got the most horrible feeling in his gut, one that said Zach might be stopped but not before something else _did_ happen. It made him want to find Zach and beat him senseless.

JR too felt sick at his stomach, but only because of what he'd just been told…not because of any sort of feeling saying something else was coming. He sat down and let out sigh of exasperation. "I wish I knew where my brother was. All I could think of to do was ride around looking for him."

Nick shook his head and offered JR a cup of coffee; the four men then fell into silence, each lost in his thoughts.

While Nick, Heath, Tyler and their unexpected visitor sat around the campfire, Zach Morton was setting up his own camp…and cursing the whole time he was doing it. How could the men he'd hired failed so miserably? He walked over to the edge of the hill he'd made camp. From where he stood, he could see the mine Maria's father had said nothing about. For a few minutes the thought about going back to his father's house. After all, Rufus Morton had said that JR was gathering some pretty convincing evidence. However, due to the fact that Zach knew just how well Jarrod knew his job – and doubting JR's evidence was as air tight as their father was claiming - he turned around determined to try one last time to hire two groups of men. He would need two…one group to distract the men working for the Barkleys, and one group of men to help him move the fence line.

~oOo~

Nick, Heath and the other men weren't the only ones who couldn't sleep. Brydie and Maria stood on the porch of Maria and Nick's home. When Maria had learned what her husband and brother-in-law planned on doing, she'd invited Brydie and her children to spend the night. Their children had naturally begged Brydie to accept the invitation.

"You know there's going to be more trouble tomorrow." Maria sat in her chair rocking back and forth.

Brydie, who had been feeling extremely uneasy most of the evening and was leaning against a newly repaired porch post, closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them up again. "I know. I be feelin' funny for a while. Wish the law would catch that Zach fellow, before anyone else's tomorrows run out."

Maria felt the same way, but said nothing. How could she when she couldn't find the words she wanted. That being the case, she said nothing. Though, had she moved off the porch and looked upwards, she'd have flown into the house and up the stairs….as Catalina was sitting on her window sill talking to Shaun Callahan…who was now dressed in a solid white suit.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

It was close to one in the morning when Heath felt someone take a hold of his shoulder and shake him. Naturally, he sat straight up expecting to see Nick or Tyler standing next to him. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark, he was shocked-but thrilled-to see it was Shaun Callahan who was waking him up. However, he was a bit surprised when Shaun whispered he needed to talk to him-away from the camp. "Good to see you got out of that rive." Heath told him, after he'd quickly stood up and walked a good twenty feet away from where he'd been sleeping. "Though, shouldn't you be waking Nick first?'

"What?" Shaun looked at Heath as if to ask 'don't you remember what happened when I first arrived? "And be hit across the jaw the moment he laid eyes on me?" He shook his head, "Call me chicken, I am. Besides, I needed to talk to someone who would simply listen without throwing out a bunch of questions first."

That got a chuckle out of Heath, even as he asked what other reason the gentleman had for waking him first. "And don't tell me there isn't any other explanation, I can feel more."

Now it was Shaun chuckling. "You have a sixth sense that's almost as keen as your niece's. Maybe the stork delivered her to the wrong house." That put a crooked smile on Heath's face, as he remembered his mother often saying that a body always got a child just like them…and sometimes one that made you wonder if someone got their directions mixed up. However, Shaun's chuckle quickly evaporated as he looked around, saw JR sleeping and told Heath that he knew where Zach was. "I'll make is so Nick, you and Tyler get to where Zach's at only send his brother home."

"He's not here to make trouble." Heath looked at JR who was sleeping next to Tyler, and then turned his attention back to Shaun. "He wants to stop Zach." He then told Shaun that JR had even left his firearm at home in hopes of showing he wanted no trouble.

Shaun shook his head. "I know all that, but Zach is one step away from crossing the line into insanity. Nothing JR can say or do will stop him now. The best thing JR can do is go home to his father. For all his faults, Rufus Morton _is_ a good man. He needs at least one son at home with him." He hesitated and then surprised Heath when he told him to wake Nick and the others after Shaun left…and not to tell them he'd been there. "Other than leading you to where Zach is, I can't help any of you. When it comes to not saying anything to Nick, he'd demand answers, and we don't have time for that." He wasn't surprised when Heath's eyes widened in disbelief. "I know none of this makes any sense to you." Shaun hurried on. "I wouldn't understand either if I were you. I would explain if we had the time, but we don't. I will leave a trail for all of you to follow…just don't tell Nick and Tyler I'm the one leaving the signs. Zach needs to be stopped before he gathers anymore men." He turn and disappeared around a clump of trees. Heath followed him only to have shock waves go through him when he went around the same trees and saw nothing.

"If I'd been drinking, I'd think I was seeing and hearing things." Heath muttered before hurrying to wake Nick and the others up. "Don't ask me to explain this, because I can't." Heath said as he went on to explain they needed to get back to trailing Zach. When Nick started to object, Heath apologized for not being able to explain. "We don't have time. JR here might have seen the light, but Zach hasn't and," he looked at JR and sighed. "Your father needs you worse than Zach. Go home." He then added that, while he couldn't explain it, he knew they'd have extra help when it came to locating Zach.

He didn't like it only Nick knew the situation was urgent enough that they didn't have time to argue. Besides, he trusted Heath-as his instincts had seldom been wrong. He looked at JR, who looked more than upset. "Heath's right. If you really have seen the light as it were, you should turn around and go straight home. Your father needs you, will need you even more when this is all over."

JR kicked the brown dirt under his feet and let out a frustrated sigh after he slipped socks and his boots back on. He didn't like admitting it only he knew Nick was telling the truth. "I know, just wish I could've have knocked some sense into that brother of mine."

Nick and the others agreed, but said nothing as JR walked over to his horse and untethered the animal. Once he had ridden away, the other three quickly rolled up their bedrolls and headed out. They hadn't gone two hundred yards when they saw the first marker Shaun had left…rocks in the form of an arrow. That alone would not have caught their attention only; to their amazement, the stones were white and glowing.

"I've seen a lot of things in my life." Tyler, who had chills going down his spine, looked at Nick. "But this is downright eerie." Nick agreed, as did Heath. However, they simply pushed their horses forward. They needed to stay focused on stopping Zach. This strange occurrence could be debated later.

While Nick, Heath and Tyler were following Shaun's shining markers, Jarrod was once again standing inside Dr. Merar's with the sheriff, who had surprised Jarrod when he'd sent for him in the middle of the night. The three of them were standing near the bed of the man McColl had pulled out of the river. He'd been hurt worse than originally thought and, due to internal bleeding, wasn't expected to live much longer.

"What did you want to see me for?" Jarrod, who hoped the man in the bed was the one the youngest prisoner had called Matthew. He was elated when the man confirmed his identity.

"Name's Matthew Keagan." The man struggled to talk. "Doc said you don't know who's behind your troubles."

"No, we don't." Jarrod kept his answer short, knowing the man didn't have much time left.

Matthew, who was actually just a man down on his luck and desperate for money to simply survive on, didn't want to pass on without doing something to help right the wrong he'd allowed himself to be pulled into. "He said his name was Zach, never told me his last name. Met him outside town, said he need that fence down. I told him about my friend who was camping…" the man's eyes closed and his voice trailed off.

"I'll go to Rufus' house, let him know it's official. Zach's a wanted man. I'll also get a posse together. I'm sure Zach hasn't left the area." The sheriff walked out of the room. Jarrod to wonder who would get to Zach first…the law or his brothers and Tyler. How was he to know there was no need for the law to start looking, or how soon things would be over.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

By the time they reached the area Zach was camped, it was three in the morning. They could see the orangish flames from the man's fire; it was on top of a small hill not four hundred yards from where they sat on their horses. They might have been seen only due to the time Zach, who had been unable to sleep, was sitting next to his campfire looking into the flames instead of surveying his surroundings.

"We'll have a better chance of apprehending him if we separate and go at him from three different directions." Heath looked at his brother and Tyler.

Nick didn't like the idea; still, he knew Heath had a valid point. Zach could easily get away if three of the four escape routes were unblocked. He dismounted his horse while doing his best to see what-if any covering there was. Thanks to the moonlight he could easily see the boulders which dotted the land around them.

Nick pulled out his pistol and nodded. "I'll go straight at him from here. That will put me on his right side."

"I can work my way into a position where I can come up behind him." Heath spoke up even as he looked at Tyler. "Tyler here can go at him from the right side." He looked at Tyler to see if their friend had any objections; he didn't. Moment later, the three of them were doing what they could to get into their various positions.

From where he sat, Zach heard nothing except the crickets and occasional owl. He was running his plans through his head. To get the help he needed he'd have to travel to other towns, get men who had never heard of the Barkleys or ones that didn't care. He was startled and started to rise when Shaun came out of nowhere and sat across from him. Though, in all honesty, Zach blamed the fact that it was night for his being unable to see where Shaun had come from. The fact that the gentleman was unarmed was the only thing that kept Zach from pulling his pistol out and shooting him. He started to open his mouth only to have Shaun speak up first.

"I told you the other night that if you kept this up and any of the Barkleys died, or any of their friends, I'd haunt you." He leaned forward, his eyes filling with an eerie look-one that would have scared most people out of their skins. "Stop this now before anyone is seriously hurt, or my promise to make your life a living nightmare will be intact. It won't matter if they live or not. Just give yourself up and accept the consequences for your own actions, it will be better than losing your mind."

Zach went to reply only to hear a twig snap off to the side of him. He whipped out his pistol and whirled to his left. "Who's there!" He called out.

"Just give yourself up," Shaun urged him again, "It's better than the alternative."

"Shut up, old man!" Zach snapped. "Get out of here before I forget you're unarmed!"

Nick, who was now close enough to see the campfire and hear Zach's voice, saw no one but Zach. 'Oh great, not only is Zach greedy-he's lost his mind as well'. "Drop your weapon, Zach!" Nick called out, making sure he was behind a medium sized boulder as he did so.

"No way!" Zach, thinking that Nick was alone, hurried to find cover behind another boulder. He started cussing and then added, "All I'm doing is camping!" He then aimed his pistol in Nick's direction, swearing to kill him first.

"I don't think so!" Heath, who had managed to come up from behind, hurled himself at Zach. One minute Zach was aiming at Nick, the next his pistol was on the ground while he and Heath started fighting. Seeing how close Nick and Tyler were, nothing more than capturing a troublemaker would have happened only Zach managed to get Heath's gun out of his holster. All he meant to do was to use it to knock Heath out only Heath was able to get a hold of the weapon as well and a struggle began. Just as Nick got close enough to be of a help the gun went off. He was horrified as Heath dropped and rolled down the hill. Tyler threw himself on Zach, tackling the man to the ground. In the meantime, Nick flew down the hill to where Heath was lying on his stomach. Nick rolled his blonde haired brother over, sickened to see blood on his unconscious brother's side. Tearing his own shirt off, Nick took a hold of a small hole and ripped the cloth in large strips. Afterwards he quickly wrapped the makeshift bandages around his brother, praying he could get the bleeding stopped.

"How is he?" Tyler, who had secured Zach's arms behind his back and was holding his prisoner with one hand while holding a gun to the man's back, asked as he forced Zach down the hill and then watched Nick tie bandages **"** around Heath, covering the wound as he did so.

'What a stupid question!' Nick thought as he slid his arms underneath his brother and picked him up and growled, "What do you think?" He made no attempt to keep any irritation out of his voice. "He needs medical attention!" He jutted his chin towards Zach. "Take that…that 'man' to the sheriff!" He said nothing else as he picked Heath up and hurried towards the horses. "I'm getting my brother to Dr. Merar's!"

"Come on!" Tyler forced Zach towards Tyler's horse, even if the man's face had paled as he looked around-as if he'd seen something frightening. Since Tyler could see nothing, he couldn't care less what had brought about his prisoner's reaction. "You might be stuck walking into Stockton, but there's no reason for me to."

As Tyler mounted his horse, keeping a hold of the rope secured to Zach's hands, only Zach saw Shaun standing a few feet away glaring at him. It was enough to send chills down Zach's back. Though, he said nothing as Tyler began forcing him to walk away from the scene and towards Stockton.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Nick paced back and forth in his home. The moment he'd arrived and his foreman had seen a wounded, unconscious Heath being held in the saddle by Nick, the man had run into house. Moments later Maria was holding the door open while he and Nick were carrying Heath into the house while one of the ranch hands pushed his horse as hard as he could towards Stockton and a doctor.

Jarrod, who had ran into Tyler taking Zach into the jail, sat near the fireplace-as was his wife Jennifer. Jarrod had hurried to 'the Main house'-as the Barkleys called the home Tom Barkley had built- and picked her and Victoria up; his mother was up in the guest room helping Dr. Merar take care of Heath. Brydie sat gazing out the window, though she was looking at nothing in particular. Maria would have been in the living room, but she and her children's nanny were making sure none of the children woke up and came out of their rooms.

"All that pacing back and forth isn't going to do Heath or you any good." Jarrod, who'd had enough of watching Nick moving around, spoke up; though, he did his best to keep his voice level. After all, he understood all too well the fear Nick was now carrying inside him. How could he not when they all had the same concern?

"As far we know Shaun Callahan did drown!" Nick stopped pacing and turned on Jarrod. "Heath might very well die, and Zach Morton would never hang for murder…both Shaun and Heath's deaths would be ruled accidental! Some prison time for the all the trouble he's caused will be the most he'd ever get!"

Jarrod, who had not wanted to go into what had happened at the jail cell before he knew what was going to happen to his blonde haired brother, knew he had to get Nick to calm down. "Try life at Napa State **.** "

It did the trick; Nick quit his ranting and stared at Jarrod. Then, remembering how he'd heard Zach talking to himself, he took a deep breath. "He was talking to himself at the jail cell?"

"More than that," Jarrod, who looked more than tired, sighed. "As Tyler was forcing him towards the jail, Zach kept looking off to the side of himself and telling some old man to leave him alone only thing was," Jarrod shrugged his shoulders. "There was no one there. Afterwards, when the deputy put Zach in the cell, he demanded that the deputy put the other fellow in another cell…even when the deputy told him to knock it off and stop playing games. When I left, Zach was telling the non-existent man to get on the other side of the cell and to leave him alone."

Nick went to say something only to have Maria step into the room and ask him to go talk to Catalina. "She woke up and won't stop crying. I don't know why either. It's only five in the morning; no one's had a chance to tell her what's happened."

"I'll go see her." Nick started to leave the room and then looked at Jarrod. "Do you think Zach's really crazy or just faking it?"

"If he's acting, he deserves an award." Jarrod replied, and then assured Nick that Rufus and JR, who had been notified about everything that was going on, had already sent a wire to Napa State. "They want a qualified doctor to look at Zach. We'll know soon enough."

Nick nodded and then hurried up the stairs. It wasn't long before he was sitting in a rocker that sat in his young daughter's room and holding Catalina in his arms; tears were still falling off her cheeks. When he asked if she'd had a bad dream, Catalina shocked him by vigorously shaking her head and then crying, "It's my fault! It's all my fault!"

Nick turned his daughter, who had been resting the side of her head on his chest, around to face him. "What are you talking about? What's your fault?"

"Uncle Heath," she sobbed, "he's bad off because of me."

Nick was shocked. How on earth had his daughter found out what was going on, and how in the world did she think she was to blame. "Why do you say that?" He asked the question, unprepared to hear what came out of Catalina's mouth.

"When he came to see me, he said he was afraid he was going to be taking someone home after all. He said he might not have a choice, and I begged him not to touch you. I told him I didn't want to lose my daddy!" Catalina started sobbing again.

Nick was confused and a bit angry. Who had come to his home and talked to Catalina without him or Maria knowing about it? However, he did his best to keep the level of his voice down…as he didn't want to frighten her. "Who? Who came to see you?"

"An angel of death," Catalina stopped crying and looked up into the startled face of her father. "He came into my room to keep his promise to me."

Angel of death? Promise? Nick forced himself to focus on keeping his daughter calm. "What promise? What angel of death?"

"A good angel," Catalina, who didn't think her father would believe his friend was an angel, answered. "He only takes good people home. He was happy that you and Uncle Heath-how did he say it," she crinkled up her nose, "Oh yeah, he said he was glad you two put the past behind you. He's been trying to keep the two of you from getting killed. He promised to come and tell me if he had to take you home or not." Her tears started flowing again, "I woke up and couldn't sleep. I saw you and our foreman carrying Uncle Heath into the house!" She threw her arms around her father's neck. "I didn't want to lose you! Now he might take Uncle Heath instead! It's all my fault!"

Nick didn't know what to think about any angel of death, but he knew one thing for sure. He couldn't let his three year old daughter believe what had happened to her uncle was somehow her fault. "Did he, this angel of death, tell you that? I mean that all of this was your fault?'

"No," Catalina pulled back. "Before he left, he told me not to blame myself. He said we can't make other people's choices, and that we're not the ones in control… God is. But, Daddy…"

Nick put his finger on his daughter's lips. "No, buts child. He's right." Nick said-even if his mind was struggling with the part about an angel showing himself to Catalina. "None of what's been happening is your fault. Life isn't always what we want it to be. People make good and bad choices, and many of those choices affect other people. When it comes to living and dying, that's definitely in the good Lord's hands. Now," he wiped her tears away. "Why don't I take you to your mother, and then go see how your uncle is doing?" The whole time he was praying it wasn't too horrible of him that he was hoping Zach had indeed lost his mind. If he had, he'd be spend the rest of his miserable life locked up in a padded cell by himself.

Catalina said nothing as Nick stood up, keeping her in his arms as he did so. However, she pulled on his heart strings when she whispered in his ear-as he walked out of the room-"Tell Uncle Heath that no matter happens to him we all love him."


	20. Chapter 20 and Epilogue

Chapter 20

A/N Tissue Alert

Heath opened his eyes and then stood, confused, at the sight that met his eyes. He was standing against the wall of Catalina's room. There was a brown chest of drawers, a dollhouse, a few dolls and a bed all arranged in an orderly fashion and a silver, oval mirror hung on the wall. The walls were also dotted with pictures and a couple of plaques with sayings on them. His three year old niece was sitting on her bed talking to Heath's five year old daughter. The two were talking about their fathers. It broke Heath's heart as Victoria Ann cried that she was scared. Though, he had to smile just a little as Catalina knelt beside her cousin, wrapped her arms around the young girl and assured her that 'if your daddy goes away, I'll share mine with you."

"She blames herself."

Heath jumped when Shaun Callahan spoke up from behind him and stepped up next to him; the man was dressed all in white-from head to toe. "I told her different; your brother did too." Shaun turned his face and looked at Heath, who was staring at Nick's friend.

"You told her…" Heath was confused more than ever. However, before he could say anything more, Shaun was explaining everything. By the time he was through, Heath felt as if his jaw had fallen off.

"So, I'm not hallucinating? I died too?" Heath asked with a ray of mixed emotions.

"Not yet," Shaun, who had found another angel willing to keep Zach occupied, shrugged his shoulders. "When that gun of yours went off, I figured your time was up and I'd be talking to you before Nick had a chance to get you home." He pointed to Catalina who was now watching her cousin, who had curled up on the bed, sleep. "Go talk to her. She's refusing to let go of the guilty feelings she has in spite of what her father and I have told her. She needs to hear from you what happened was not her fault."

Heath hesitated, unsure of what to think when it came to his niece being able to see an angel like Shaun and; maybe, someone in his state. Then slowly he walked towards her. The moment he did that, Catalina turned her head and her eyes widened. She would have screamed out in excitement only she could see Shaun behind her uncle. Her eyes once again filled with tears and she began shaking her head vigorously.

"No! No! You can't go! You can't!" Catalina cried out even as Heath knelt down in front of her. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt and die!

Heath wanted to take her into his arms, but he found himself unable to. Shaun spoke up from behind and told him it was because he hadn't actually crossed over. It hurt like nothing else Heath ever felt. However, Shaun quickly moved, picked up the small child and placed her on his lap, facing her uncle so Heath could still talk to her. "This isn't your fault, Catalina. You didn't do this to me. Please, don't blame yourself for another person's choice." He repeated what Shaun had already told her about 'tomorrows', along with backing up everything that her father had said. Heath then gave her the best crooked smile he could muster and added, "I haven't quite crossed over yet. However, I don't want to go without telling you the only regret I have is leaving the family behind…and everyone who leaves this life feels like that. The thing is they are excited too, because it means seeing those they care about-the ones who went ahead of them." He went on to surprise her by thanking her for what she'd said to her cousin. "That's another reason I can go on." Heath explained as his eyes turned to his young daughter- his heart ached at the thought of not being able to help raise her. He then turned his attention back to his exceptional niece. "I know she has a good cousin like you, and aunts and uncles-along with a grandmother who will be there for your Aunt Brydie and your cousins." He could say that because he and Brydie had talked about the 'what if's' that could happen in life shortly before they married-and a couple of times afterwards. Both had agreed that, should something happen to one of them, the surviving spouse would stay and raise the children on the ranch…or at least near it.

Heath fell silent as he kept his eyes on his Catalina, wondering if he'd gotten through to her. When the child spoke again, it was to tug at his heart strings once more. "I l..love y..ou, U..uncle H..eath." She wiped the tears from her eyes-even as she turned her head and looked at Shaun…her eyes screaming 'I'll think about forgiving you'.

"I love you too and, if I can, I'll come back and visit you, along with the rest of the family." He stood up even as an invisible force seemed to begin pulling him out of the room where his daughter and niece were and into the room where his mortal body lay.

"NO! Don't you dare!" Nick, who returned to Heath's room only to find Brydie crying out as Heath's chest stopped moving, began thumping on his brother's chest. He'd seen both Eugene and Dr. Merar do such a thing on a couple of patients before his youngest brother had moved away. "You can't leave us now!"

Heath looked to see if Shaun was still with him; he was.

"Go talk to them." Shaun, who had followed Heath into the room, was more than frustrated at his own failure to stop what was happening, told Heath as he felt himself going back into his body.

When Heath's chest moved again and he opened his eyes, Nick thought they'd won 'that round' only to look into his brother's eyes and see a tired look in them that shook him to the core. "Let it be, Nick. Just let it be **.** "

"How?" Nick asked in a broken voice. "I…we don't want to lose you."

"You're not losing me. I'm just going on ahead." Heath then turned his eyes to Brydie. "Do you know how much I love you? Do you know I wouldn't go back and change a thing if I could?"

Tears spilled off Brydie's cheeks, as they did Nick's, Jarrod's and Victoria's…the latter two had hurried down the hallway when they'd heard Nick start to yell. "I know, neither would I." She clasped his hands in hers.

Heath looked up at Nick. "Got more than I bargained for that day I let my temper get the best of me in the barn, and I couldn't be more grateful. You, Jarrod and Gene are the best brothers a man could ask for, and that brother in law of ours got a fine deal the day he married Audra." His voice started to fade as he looked past Nick and Brydie. The moment his eyes met Jarrod's and Victoria's, who hurried to the side of the bed. "Thanks for everything, Jarrod."

Jarrod struggled to find his voice. He finally shook his head. "No, thank you."

Heath then looked at Victoria. He could feel a force begin to pull on him once again. Still, he managed to tell Victoria how much he loved her and ask his brothers in a subdued whisper, "Did you know we have one very fine lady for a mother." Silence fell into the room and spread from one end to another.

"I'm sorry." Shaun turned to Heath, who once again standing next to the angel of death, though his focus was on his family who was now embracing each other and crying. "I didn't want this to happen. I tried everything I knew to make it so you could stay." He pointed upwards. "I guess they're disgusted with the way I lost control over my emotions and chose to handle Zach Morton my way. Though, I won't say I'm sorry for it because I'm not. He should have given up when I gave him the chance. Now he'll have me or one of my friends making sure he always has a companion." He was surprised when Heath started chuckling.

"You sure you and Nick aren't related?" Heath asked.

"We could be." Shaun grinned, turned around and, putting his hand on Heath's upper arm, started guiding him out of the room and towards a what appeared to be a thin, see though veil.

"Will they be okay?" Heath gestured behind him.

"They'll be fine. I've been assured they have many, many more tomorrows…ones you'll be heavily involved in." Shaun started laughing when Heath's one eyebrow raised in a questioning manner. "Let me explain," the Angel of Death continued talking as they stepped through the veil.

Epilogue

Epilogue – a year later

Nick, who had just returned from a round up and had stopped at the main house to pick up his wife and children-who had been visiting the rest of the family, now stood on the verandah telling Jarrod one of a few incidents that had taken place on the round up…incidences that could have taken his, or one of the men's, life. "I tell you, we all either had strong impressions that we needed to do something other than what we were, or had thoughts enter our minds-as if someone was talking to us. And, get this, we had a couple of men walk straight into camp. They handed me a thousand dollars, said it was money they'd been given to them by one of your former clients-one Bill Holms." Jarrod's eyes widened, though he said nothing as he could see Nick wasn't through talking.

Nick leaned against one of the verandah's posts. "They said the man wanted them to cause a stampede-hoped to have me-or at least one my men killed because I testified against him. When I asked them why they were turning the money over and confessing everything, they said two men had 'appeared out of nowhere' and warned them sternly what would happen if they didn't do just that. They said one of the men, a blonde haired gentleman with a crooked smile, told them to "go to Napa State if they wanted to see the results of the other gentleman's, and his friends', work." He then added if Jarrod doubted what he was being told he could go to the Stockton jail. "The men are sitting in one of the cells now. Don't ask me why, but while they were handing the money and confessing where it came from they also admitted they were wanted by the law." He went on to point out smaller events where one or the other Barkleys had been spared death or serious injury due to 'luck'. "I never believed in guardian angels before only, after this last trip, I do…and Heath is one of the two men who got the troublemakers to confess. He's been helping us ever since he crossed over to the other side. He's got to be." Nick paused and then added, "If he is hanging around now and then, sure would be nice if he would help me find my new set of gloves. As you know, I had to use my old ones on the round up."

Jarrod didn't know what to think, but the blonde hair and crooked smile sure sounded like their deceased brother. However, before he could say anything a strong breeze blew by and Heath appeared not ten feet from them. "Took you long enough to figure that one out," Heath chuckled at the surprised looks on his brothers' faces. "Though, don't give me all the credit. I have help from a former 'Death Angel' whose former supervisor got tired of dealing with an angel who was famous for losing control of himself and doing things his way."

Jarrod and Nick looked at each other and then back at Heath. "Do we dare ask who? Can you even tell us?"

"You might not, he might not, but we'll tell you anyway." Shaun made both men jump when he appeared next to Heath.

"Shaun!" Nick-who had never liked the fact that they'd never found Shaun Callahan's body, exclaimed. Then, when he'd got a hold of his heart, he started to apologize for not being able to give the man a proper burial, Shaun cut him off. "No one could get my body if they wanted to. I was on this side when I came to you in the first place." He then gave an extremely short explanation. "Forgive me, but I wasn't allowed to say anything."

"Are you supposed to show yourselves to us?" Jarrod, who had seen laughter appear in Heath's eyes when Shaun appeared.

Both Shaun and Heath shrugged their shoulders and said at the same time. "We don't know; we haven't asked." That caused all four of them to start laughing hard. When the laughter finally stopped, Heath apologized and looked up towards the room he knew Catalina and Victoria Ann were playing in. "If you'll excuse us, we need to keep a promise before we leave." As Heath and Shaun started fading from view, Heath looked at Nick and surprised the rancher even more when he said, "By the way, that goat Gene insisted on giving the family ate those new gloves."

After his brother and friend had completely disappeared from view Nick turned around and headed back into the house. "Where are you going?" Jarrod asked as he followed Nick.

"I'm going to talk Silas. If he can make mutton out of sheep, surely he can barbacue a stupid goat!" Nick snapped as he stepped into the hallway and headed for the kitchen.

A/N Before you hit me too hard, I've been working, on and off, trying to come up with an alternative ending. That is, one that doesn't feel forced. I can't stand to keep any writing that has a forced feeling attached to it. IF I succeed, I will post it as well.


	21. Alternative Ch 20 and New Epilogue

Alternative Ending and New Epilogue

 **A/N A tissue might still be handy, but not because of any Barkley death. For anyone who only wishes to read the part that changed…go clear down to where Shaun starts to lead Heath towards the veil. From there on I changed things.**

Heath opened his eyes and then stood, confused, at the sight that met his eyes. He was standing against the wall of Catalina's room. There was a brown chest of drawers, a dollhouse, a few dolls and a bed all arranged in an orderly fashion and a silver, oval mirror hung on the wall. The walls were also dotted with pictures and a couple of plaques with sayings on them. His three year old niece was sitting on her bed talking to Heath's five year old daughter. The two were talking about their fathers. It broke Heath's heart as Victoria Ann cried that she was scared. Though, he had to smile just a little as Catalina knelt beside her cousin, wrapped her arms around the young girl and assured her that 'if your daddy goes away, I'll share mine with you."

"She blames herself."

Heath jumped when Shaun Callahan spoke up from behind him and stepped up next to him; the man was dressed all in white-from head to toe. "I told her different; your brother did too." Shaun turned his face and looked at Heath, who was staring at Nick's friend.

"You told her…" Heath was confused more than ever. However, before he could say anything more, Shaun was explaining everything. By the time he was through, Heath felt as if his jaw had fallen off.

"So, I'm not hallucinating? I died too?" Heath asked with a ray of mixed emotions.

"Not yet," Shaun, who had found another angel willing to keep Zach occupied, shrugged his shoulders. "When that gun of yours went off, I figured your time was up and I'd be talking to you before Nick had a chance to get you home." He pointed to Catalina who was now watching her cousin, who had curled up on the bed, sleep. "Go talk to her. She's refusing to let go of the guilty feelings she has in spite of what her father and I have told her. She needs to hear from you what happened was not her fault."

Heath hesitated, unsure of what to think when it came to his niece being able to see an angel like Shaun and; maybe, someone in his state. Then slowly he walked towards her. The moment he did that, Catalina turned her head and her eyes widened. She would have screamed out in excitement only she could see Shaun behind her uncle. Her eyes once again filled with tears and she began shaking her head vigorously.

"No! No! You can't go! You can't!" Catalina cried out even as Heath knelt down in front of her. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt and die!

Heath wanted to take her into his arms, but he found himself unable to. Shaun spoke up from behind and told him it was because he hadn't actually crossed over. It hurt like nothing else Heath ever felt. However, Shaun quickly moved, picked up the small child and placed her on his lap, facing her uncle so Heath could still talk to her. "This isn't your fault, Catalina. You didn't do this to me. Please, don't blame yourself for another person's choice." He repeated what Shaun had already told her about 'tomorrows', along with backing up everything that her father had said. Heath then gave her the best crooked smile he could muster and added, "I haven't quite crossed over yet. However, I don't want to go without telling you the only regret I have is leaving the family behind…and everyone who leaves this life feels like that. The thing is they are excited too, because it means seeing those they care about-the ones who went ahead of them." He went on to surprise her by thanking her for what she'd said to her cousin. "That's another reason I can go on." Heath explained as his eyes turned to his young daughter- his heart ached at the thought of not being able to help raise her. He then turned his attention back to his exceptional niece. "I know she has a good cousin like you, and aunts and uncles-along with a grandmother who will be there for your Aunt Brydie and your cousins." He could say that because he and Brydie had talked about the 'what ifs' that could happen in life shortly before they married-and a couple of times afterwards. Both had agreed that, should something happen to one of them, the surviving spouse would stay and raise the children on the ranch…or at least near it.

Heath fell silent as he kept his eyes on Catalina, wondering if he'd gotten through to her. When the child spoke again, it was to tug at his heart strings once more. "I l..love y..ou, U..uncle H..eath." She wiped the tears from her eyes-even as she turned her head and looked at Shaun…her eyes screaming 'I'll think about forgiving you'.

"I love you too and, if I can, I'll come back and visit you, along with the rest of the family." He stood up even as an invisible force seemed to begin pulling him out of the room where his daughter and niece were and into the room where his mortal body lay.

"NO! Don't you dare!" Nick, who returned to Heath's room only to find Brydie crying out as Heath's chest stopped moving, began thumping on his brother's chest. He'd seen both Eugene and Dr. Merar do such a thing on a couple of patients before his youngest brother had moved away. "You can't leave us now!"

Heath looked to see if Shaun was still with him; he was.

"Go talk to them." Shaun, who had followed Heath into the room, was more than frustrated at his own failure to stop what was happening, told Heath as he felt himself going back into his body.

When Heath's chest moved again and he opened his eyes, Nick thought they'd won 'that round' only to look into his brother's eyes and see a tired look in them that shook him to the core. "Let it be, Nick. Just let it be **.** "

"How?" Nick asked in a broken voice. "I…we don't want to lose you."

"You're not losing me. I'm just going on ahead." Heath then turned his eyes to Brydie. "Do you know how much I love you? Do you know I wouldn't go back and change a thing if I could?"

Tears spilled off Brydie's cheeks, as they did Nick's, Jarrod's and Victoria's cheeks …the latter two had hurried down the hallway when they'd heard Nick start to yell. "I know, neither would I." She clasped his hands in hers.

Heath looked up at Nick. "Got more than I bargained for that day I let my temper get the best of me in the barn, and I couldn't be more grateful. You, Jarrod and Gene are the best brothers a man could ask for, and that brother in law of ours got a fine deal the day he married Audra." His voice started to fade as he looked past Nick and Brydie. The moment his eyes met Jarrod's and Victoria's, who hurried to the side of the bed Heath said, "Thanks for everything, Jarrod."

Jarrod struggled to find his voice. He finally shook his head. "No, thank you."

Heath then looked at Victoria. He could feel a force begin to pull on him once again. Still, he managed to tell Victoria how much he loved her and asked his brothers in a subdued whisper, "Did you know we have one very fine lady for a mother?" Silence fell into the room and spread from one end to another.

"I'm sorry." Shaun turned to Heath, who was once again standing next to the angel of death, though his focus was on his family who was now embracing each other and crying. "I didn't want this to happen. I tried everything I knew to make it so you could stay." He pointed upwards. "I guess they're disgusted with the way I lost control over my emotions and chose to handle Zach Morton my way. Though, I won't say I'm sorry for it because I'm not. He should have given up when I gave him the chance. Now he'll have me or one of my friends making sure he always has a companion." He was surprised when Heath started chuckling.

"You sure you and Nick aren't related?" Heath asked.

"We could be." Shaun grinned, turned around and, putting his hand on Heath's upper arm, started guiding him out of the room and towards a what appeared to be a thin, see though veil.

"Will they be okay?" Heath gestured behind him.

"They'll be fine. I've been…" Shaun started to answer only to be interrupted by a voice, belonging to a being Heath could not see. Actually, he couldn't understand what was being said either. Though, he was as curious as could be when Shaun's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. "You're kidding me!" The voice spoke again, a bit sharper than before.

"Yes, sir!" Shaun turned beaming as he turned around and pushed Heath back towards his mortal shell.

"What..." Heath got only the one word out before he found himself sitting straight up and gasping for air. An action that had his family jumping to his aid.

Epilogue

Heath stood in the graveyard looking at the newest headstone in the graveyard. **RUFUS MORTON September 10, 1820 – June 1, 1887.** Heath was still trying to wrap his mind around what Shaun had told him when Shaun had come back one last time. Nick's old friend explained why Heath's life had been spared and told Heath it was okay if he told his family everything… as long as Heath and the rest of the Barkleys didn't repeat the story to anyone.

" _When I had you send JR back to his father, I thought the old man needed one sane son around to help him. I didn't know that the old man had been praying with everything he had in him that if anyone's_ _tomorrows_ _ran out, his would. He was also praying for a few other things. Those things were; one, that Zach be stopped no matter what the cost to the Morton family was; two, that he be given time to make peace-real peace-with JR and; three, that if -for reasons only HE knows-a life was to be taken, that HE allow Rufus Morton to pass away instead of any of member of your family." He had then asked if Heath would please extend his friendship to JR-and to talk to the rest of the Barkleys about doing the same. "He, like his father,_ _ **has**_ _changed. Only thing is, he'll need good, solid friends to help make those changes stick."_

Heath came out of his thoughts when he heard and felt someone step up beside him. He turned expecting to see Nick or Jarrod, only to find JR standing next to him. Then, as if to read his mind, JR gave Heath a huge smile. "Don't blame yourself. He wanted it this way." He then took a deep breath and thanked Heath.

"For what?" Heath was confused. Never having repeated anything about Shaun's true identity, or what he'd told Heath, the blonde haired cowboy could see nothing that JR would have to thank him for.

"For sending me back that night," JR turned his gaze to the headstone. "Those last few days, before Father had that massive heart attack and died, they were the best we ever had. We talked, cried and laughed like we never had before. And, wrong as it may be," JR shrugged his shoulders. "I hope Zach never gets out of Napa State. He's crazier than I ever imagined."

There was a few moments of silence before Heath turned away from Mr. Morton's grave. When he spoke, it was to invite JR to lunch at the café with Heath, Nick and their families. Nick and both families were waiting for Heath outside the graveyard fence. However, Heath had to hide a chuckle when the brown haired, thirty-six year old Mariah Simpson and her four children drove up in their wagon…and JR thanked him but declined. "You were right about the Widow Simpson and those children of hers. They're something else. I sort of promised to take them fishing. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," Heath laughed as he and JR walked out of the graveyard, "but if anything comes of it, I'll have plenty of rice to throw." That only served him to get a playful punch in the arm as JR headed for the Simpon's wagon, and Heath walked towards his family. He didn't know when his tomorrows would run out only; for now, he was simply going to appreciate every 'today' he was given.


End file.
